Rise of the Guardians: The Phantom Guardian
by Mr. thinker
Summary: A year has passed after they defeated Pitch, the world was in peace. However the peace was short-lived. After 'Manny' cast a shadow of an unknown enemy on North's workshop, they have to team up with the Inquisitors of heresy, a guardian of the moon, a weird grim-reaper and... a mysterious guardian who seem to be the root of this problem. Disclaimer: I do not own anything
1. Prologue

Prologue

"_In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straightway was lost." _

_-Dante Alighieri- _

Darkness…everything around me…Darkness. The void where I am right now was empty, hollow, and eerie. I tried to move and raise both of my hands but, I couldn't even see my own limb because of the inky blackness.

Then my eyes widened in realization, neither wind nor sound was present in this realm. I couldn't feel it, I couldn't stay like this. I have no desire to stay in this realm anymore. Not even a second.

_Let me out…_I said, but only unnerving silence answered me.

_Let me out!_ I screamed, but my voice seemed to stop working.

I panicked. _I don't want to stay in this world anymore! Let! Me! Out!_

And then in the darkness above me formed a crack. It was small at first, but then it began to crawl.

The cracks ran along, spreading further and further. Bits of black material started falling onto me and then, as if it was the first time, I saw a light.

Slowly, the light seemed to lift me up and away from the darkness, from this vacuumed, soundless space.

I calmly stared at the light, bewildered, but at the same time _relieved_, and as I passed through the gaps, I felt a very cold rush of air that began to envelop me.

I greedily inhaled and gasped, as if this was the first time I've felt a puff of air, like there's no tomorrow. Perplexed and confused, I stared at the light again only to discover…it was a big, bright, full moon.

The moon, like it had eyes, seemed to look at me first, wondering what I was doing in that realm maybe, and slowly put me down.

I felt a sudden coldness swept against me. I turned around and questioned myself silently. _Where am I…? _I looked around and tried to see some landmarks that I know or knew before, feeling slightly panicky.

I was in…some kind of a graveyard. Rows and rows of tombstone, mausoleum, and statues of angels and saints stood at both of my sides, forming a creepy open corridor.

The wind blew again, somehow urging my eyes to gaze upon a tombstone before me. The moon's light was bright enough for me to read the words, the name of the owner of the grave in front of me.

**HAYTHAM KENWAY**

**BORN: DECEMBER 4 1725**

**DIED: SEPTEMBER 16 1781**

The word burned in my eyes, illuminated by the moon's tender light. I looked down and saw three things that were neatly embedded deep in the snow. A sword, a pistol and a small, green, book with a velvet cover.

"Hah…" I breathed out of air and thought. _Why do I need a pistol…? _I looked at the items with wearied and doubtful eyes, but for some reason, I picked up the pistol and put it in my holster on the left side of my blue cloak, then the small book to my right cloak robe pocket, and last the sword – I still had no idea if it was mine or if it belonged to someone else.

I tried to move my leg, but a pain crawled on my right foot. I clicked my tongue, displeasured and a little bit disoriented, and decided to use the long sword as my cane.

And with the flutter of my black cape behind me, I decided to walk away from the strange man's grave, and somehow I prayed that the name embedded on the stone wasn't mine.

* * *

><p>The night was silent as I walked outside the graveyard. A dense forest of winter-kissed pine trees greeted my eyes. I struggled through the woods, grunting as my feet tripped on uneven ground, the pain in my right foot throbbing as it was subjected to greater stress.<p>

I held the sword in my right hand tightly as I could as I balance myself and then I came to a halt.

When I gave room for pause, I saw that I had stopped before a large frozen pond glittering like crystal. When I moved closer, I couldn't help but wonder what my face would look like in the reflection. I couldn't remember even that much

I moved to the pond as fast as my hobbling pace could carry me and stared down at my own reflection.

"This…is…me…?" I slowly muttered as I touched a scar on my middle-aged face. I then ran my left hand to my low pony tailed, black hair that was tied by a red ribbon behind. My blue eyes wandered to my cravat under my chin then to my red vest and white shirt. My forearms are covered with bracers, I noticed.

But the most strangest thing that I noticed to myself…was the English hat on my head, which was decorated by gold thread that runs along the edge. I looked at my cape behind me and noticed that it was adorned with the same colour and it formed a large cross and an eagle spreading its wings.

"Am I traveler…?" I asked myself, but the wind only blew lightly and made my beautiful cloak flutter.

I made a one last look and then slowly I move away from the pond.

* * *

><p>The path that I took was very long, silent, and eerie. The branches of the trees were covered in icicles, and my feet shivered even though I had brown boots to protect my frozen toes.<p>

I continued and as I walked, I was also thinking.

_Who am I? Was my name Haytham Kenway, the one etched on the stone…if so, I'm already dead…but then why I am walking right now? Why can I breathe, think, and feel the coldness of this white earth –_

"Ah!" I tripped and fell face first into the snow. I was too busy thinking that I didn't pay attention to the road, and pitifully tripped over a lonesome small rock.

I groaned and slowly lifted myself up and then I saw a wooden sign with a battered up arrow and a town name painted in white, standing in front of me.

NEW YORK 10 MILES

"A town…?" A sigh of relief escaped from my mouth. Finally a town, maybe I can ask for help there or maybe I can search for some clues about my identity.

"New York…" I muttered and started to quicken my pace.

* * *

><p>The town of New York was loud and noisy. The wooden buildings, general stores and other establishment were all brightly lit-up and radiating yellow light. The street was filled with people, dancing and prancing by the music made of the parade bands.<p>

The sky was lit-up by different colourful fireworks which I ignored since I didn't came here to see it.

"Happy New Year without the British rats!" a group of men that I passed cheered and shouted in happiness. A lot of people were shouting the same thing.

_What's the celebration…?_ I thought as I staggered from my tired walk from the graveyard, but it soon paid off after I saw an officer standing among the crowds, cheering in unison.

"Officer…" I mumbled and quickly moved towards him.

"O-Officer…"the man didn't even look at me.

"O—officer…" This time he looked and came face to face with me, but then he waved to the woman standing behind me, as if he didn't see me.

"O-officer- I need h–!" Then the next thing happened…frightened me forever.

A man, who seemed to be too drunk to walk, wobbled and toppled over me. I quickly reacted, but to my horror…he passed right through me.

"Ho-how…?!" I exclaimed, but it seemed no one could hear me. It happened again; I reflexively jumped as a woman passed through me. I almost fell down as a dog and a little boy came running straight towards me, only to pass through my thick cloak like I wasn't there.

I darted my eyes and tried to touch some people, but my hand couldn't touch them – it passed right through them.

Horrified, I started to shout. "He-help me! Someone – help me!"

The people ignored me. No…they couldn't see me. My eyes went wide, my mind went blank._ 'Why can't they see me?'_ was the question that was running in my mind and then to my horror, I remembered the name on the tombstone._ Am I really dead?_

"Someone…help me…" I cried. I moved back to a child that was running towards me and saw the same result.

And with that…I ran away, horrified, clueless, and in despair.

* * *

><p>I ran and ran as fast as I could. I completely forgot my aching right foot, the horrors that I experienced back from the town continued to play in my mind, which I thought, empty to begin with.<p>

_I couldn't remember anything, I don't know my name…who am I? Someone…tell me…please…I'm begging –_

I suddenly tripped on something hard and fell down to the ground again. Still breathing heavily…I tried to stand up only to face the same tombstone from before.

I was back again…at the cemetery.

The name 'Haytham Kenway' was still there, rusty, dirty, and almost unreadable.

"Haytham…Kenway…" I muttered the name as I stood up. I slowly faced the moon behind me and stared, searching for answers.

"Is…that my name…?" The wind blew lightly, my cloak fluttered in silence.

And then, after thinking that the wind was the answer and I interpreted it as a big, resounding 'yes', I asked in agony, "Why…why did you revive me…?"

That time…the whole place had gone went silent. No comforting wind billowed around my feet.

"Why!?" I screamed, but the moon only stared at me and didn't answer. Slowly I saw the clouds began to move and covered the big, white, heavenly body until darkness enveloped me.

_Just why did you revive me…what is my purpose now…and…what horrors does this world have that I will face…? _The question painfully burned in my empty mind and it was the most unpleasant feeling ever.

The moon revived me…it resurrected me and yet I wasn't happy at all. I was somehow angry and vengeful. He didn't give me a life…he gave me something worse. I can feel it.

"Haytham Kenway…" I said as my voice had gone harsh .

"…if that is my name…" I raised my long sword and pointed to the covered moon.

"Then I'll take it and you'll remember it since it will be the name of the man who will destroy you…I will destroy you." I continued, "Let there be war between us, and I swear if you appear in front of me, I'll rip you…apart…" I cursed the moon and then I begrudgingly added.

"And if you have allies…I'll see them and bring them death, instead of a welcoming face…I swear. I, Haytham Kenway, will bring death to those who, and to those who conspired to revive me!" I shouted and with one final thought I concluded.

My name is Haytham Kenway. I was born on December 4 1725…and laid to rest on September 16 1781.

And with certainty…I am not, and will never become, a Guardian. Instead, I will destroy the Guardians and those who believe in them.

* * *

><p>Hello everyone! This my new story! Rise of the Guardians, The Phantom Guardian. Special thanks to wolfluvermh for beta-reading :) Also check and review my story Assassin's Creed: The Silver Animus and World of Tomorrow, its almost finish. Hey there guys this is just a re-edit of the chapter :) More to come, stay tuned.<p> 


	2. Canto I : The Shadow

Canto I

_'From a little spark may burst a flame.'_

_-Dante Alighieri-_

* * *

><p>A sound of a knuckle hitting a bone reverberated on the grey-colored walls of a windowless room. The light beaming from a suspended light bulb swayed and moved, creating menacing shadows of the two occupants of the room.<p>

A man, sitting on a chair with his hands behind him, tied by a strong glowing, metallic barb wire, silently panted. The man wasn't an ordinary one, he wasn't even a human.

His black hair moved as his golden eyes glanced at the taller man in front of him.

"Hehehe…had enough…?" he asked and then he let out a laughter that echoed.

"Not quite," the taller man replied in a grave tone.

Pitch Black, the Nightmare King or to be precise the Guardian of Fear, silently growl and smiled at his interrogator. After he was banished and defeated by the big four and locked up in his own lair, this man…the one who punched him earlier, took him, and started asking him about why he revolted against the man in moon…through intense torture.

"Now…I'll repeat again…" the interrogator lowered his head, his green eyes looked straight at the man's amber eyes, "Why did you revolt against the Man in the Moon?"

Pitch's face was plain but, then he slowly smiled and said, "…Because I hate the guardians…"

The man didn't remove his eyes from him for a second before he straightened his back and towered at the nightmare guardian again. And then in a blink of an eye, his right hand formed a fist and planted it at the pale bloodied face of his prisoner.

Pitch made a resound thud after he fell to the floor, still strapped in his chair. He chuckled and coughed, spitting up blood in the process.

"Haha…its true then…that you…" – he looked up to the man – "the Head of the 2nd Surveillance Spectral Agency of Inquisitor of Heresy of the Great Court of Heaven are brutal to their prisoners even if they tell the truth…"

The man's grey shoes took a step; he kneeled down and blandly said, "No. I just don't take lies for an answer."

His grave voice made the Boogeyman smirk. Seeing his prisoner amused made the interrogator's eyebrow twitch – he was about to kick him in punishment when two girls appeared behind him, stopping his blow.

The two girls saluted him. Their blue hat and neck tie moved along with cleric-like robe in unison.

"Interrogation of the Prisoner no. 1134: Pitch Black, the Guardian of Fear, is over sir," they said in unison as the man stared at them plainly.

The woman on the right, with a long, blonde hair, moved forward, and stomped her black boots and said,

"Allow me to speak, Superintendent Detective Aiden 'H.' Pearce; you're violating Prisoner's Code of Rights due to intense process of unauthorized torture."

The man named Aiden 'H' Pearce made a begrudging glance at the black guardian before answering in dismay.

"I don't give a damn about the rights. I'm just doing my job as a Detective of Inquisitor of Heresy."

This time, the girl on the left with short, brown hair, wearing the same blue hat as her companion's, stomped her black shoes forward.

"Allow me to Speak, Superintendent Detective Aiden 'H.' Pearce, let it be said that it's your job as an Inquisitor to gather Intel, but certain protocols need to be followed."

"And that will take a long time…" Aiden said without looking at them. "And there's no H between Aiden and Pearce. Also, I acted like that because he is lying."

He pointed at the almost dead, revolting Guardian.

The two girls looked at each other's red eyes before the long-haired spoke, her words followed by her companion's.

"The prisoner must be treated with fairness,"

"So he can still be a 'court worthy' when he appears in the court for future trials and execution."

Aiden grumbled silently, somehow he hated being lectured especially by the long haired Gertrude and her bleak subordinate Cornelia.

"Whatever…why were you here anyway?" he asked already annoyed to their long presence in front of him.

"Allow me to speak," Gertrude said, and continued, "Madame Knox has ordered you to go to the Oval Office."

"Allow me to speak," Cornelia said, and continued, "You must proceed there immediately."

_Knox…?_ Aiden stared at the two plainly, thinking why he was being summoned by the higher-up "Madame Knox".

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud cough from the downed guardian who was still on the floor, breathing hard.

"Hehehe…Aiden 'H' Pearce…" Pitch trailed off and continued, "You really want the position of Dlanor A. Knox so badly, am I right…?" Aiden's eyes squinted; he took a step towards him.

"Haha…too bad, you will stay in her shadow for so lo–"The detective didn't let him finish his sentence. He delivered a powerful kick to his head, enough to render him unconscious.

"Superintendent Aiden 'H' –"

"There's no 'H' in my name." Aiden Pearce's grave voice cut off Gertrude's. He was already annoyed and was debating executing the nightmare guardian, authorization be damned.

"Fine…I'll go," he said plainly as the two girls nodded and the three of them disappeared inside the confinement cell leaving the black guardian.

* * *

><p>The hallway of the Great Court of Heaven was wide and silent. The left side was covered with mirrors and reflected the light coming from the outside of the establishment, creating a holy and authoritarian aura inside.<p>

Aiden Pearce, together with Cornelia and Gertrude, strode straight. His shoes made an echoing sound, harmonizing with the rustle of his black, long sleeve, zip-neck, sweater and his fluttering dark blue knee-length trench coat.

_What does she need now…?_ He thought hardly as he fixed his dark blue cap. An insignia of two keys, crossing each other on top of a gavel shone brightly, the symbol of his title, status, and authority to the great court of heaven was embedded.

Aiden stopped in front of large, dual doors. He sighed for a second and slowly opened them.

* * *

><p>The Oval Office, true to its name, was an office with a shape of an oval. The room was dimly-lit and filled with sturdy furniture. The walls were painted lavender and adorned with paintings of the previous title holders of the Guardian of Truth, the predecessors of the current occupant of this room.<p>

Aiden stood by the closed doors before he walked slowly towards the center where a table stood with a holographic computer window serving as the only light.

"Aiden Pearce reporting for duty ma'am." He saluted to the back of a swivel chair, watching as it slowly turned around.

Dlanor A. Knox was the head of the 1st District Repentance Enforcement Agency of the Great Court of Heaven, commonly known as Eiserne Jungfrau. The group was originally belonged to the 7th District; however Dlanor was promoted to a Guardian title holder which made her move up to a higher rank. She was also known by many different names such 'the Archbishop Dlanor, the Iron Lady, and 'Dlanor of the Ten Wedges, but the most famous one was 'Death Sentence Dlanor'.

Dlanor cast her amber eyes unto Aiden. She swiped a holo-window from her face and fixed her blue cap – it bore a similar insignia to the man's, but it had a weighing scale of Maat instead of the gavel.

She stood up from her chair and fixed her blue cleric-like robe as she walked towards him. She was the smaller of the two, only about 5'5 when compared to the towering 6'2 man.

"Aiden H Pearce of the 2nd district, the Surveillance Spectral Agency of the Great Court of Heaven…it's been awhile," she mechanically said as she bowed at him.

"Indeed—"

"Hats off by the way," Dlanor reminded in a voice that might as well have been a command. Aiden removed his hat.

"There's no H in Aiden Pearce, by the way," the man shot back at the woman, avoiding her eyes on the process.

"Hmph… Aiden do you want to know why I called you here?"

"To lecture me on how to handle prisoners,"

"Indeed." She raised her left arm, a limb forged from pure gold, and opened her hand. A mini holo video appeared; it showed Aiden punching and delivering kicks and blows to the Black Guardian.

The man stared at it as if it was nothing, his eyes dull and bored.

"And?" he asked as the woman closed her hand, ending the video.

"Aiden Pearce, how many times do I have to dictate to you the Prisoner's rights? We don't torture people for intel." She moved towards the table and continued, "_Illegally_, you should've reported to me first."

"And that will take a long time," Aiden said as he put his cap back on, only to remove it again after he received a plain glare at Dlanor.

"Remember Aiden that you're only my _apprentice_," she stood up, moved, and added harshly, "Your title, 'The Watchdog' is nothing compared to mine…"

Aiden stared at her amber eyes straightly. He didn't react in any physical, but he was furious with his superior. In his mind, he already killed her in hundreds of different ways in just less than 2 seconds.

"Remember that time when I fished you out of the Deletion Plane?" Dlanor asked suddenly to Aiden, cutting him from his own brutal thoughts.

"Yes…and I am very _glad_ that you picked me up…" Aiden said sarcastically.

"Now then, to the topic at hand." Dlanor opened her golden hand again and projected an image on the floor. The detective squatted and observed the image. It looked like the shadow of a man.

"Who's this?" he asked gravely.

Dlanor simply responded, "The new enemy."

* * *

><p>Burgess<p>

Jamie sat on the snow-covered ground with his back at the snow wall that he made. He raised his head to take a peek. The park was empty, despite its first month before Christmas. His eyes continued scanning the place searching for a familiar glint of the blue colored guardian –

"Ha! Tag!" Jack Frost threw a large snow ball at the kid from above.

"Ah!" Jamie shouted in gleeful surprise. He quickly formed a snow ball and threw it to the air at the snow Guardian of Fun, Jack Frost.

"Jack! Not fair!" the kid protested as the winter sprite landed on a frozen bench, chuckling under his own breath.

The little believer pouted and glared at him first before he sighed and sat down next to him.

"Say Jack, did you know about the series called 'Ghost hunters'? It's super cool!"

"Uh no Jamie –" Jack thought, but then the kid cut in and started explaining each episode with excitement. The winter sprite only smiled and listened with interest as the boy told him many things such as ghost appearing in a mansion during wee hours of the night, a castle that was burned and left a satanic shadow image on the wall, and figure of a long dead man who appeared on a photograph of his family…during his own funeral.

"It's so spooky!"

"Yeah, too spooky for me," Jack laughed as the boy continued.

"And I'm going to watch it with my, um… my… um…" He counted on his fingers. "3rd cousins."

Jack blinked. He suddenly felt excited at Jamie's relative. "Cousins?! Now _that_ will be fun."

"Yup and I should help my mom with cooking dinner at six –" His voice trailed off after he glanced at the clock, petrified by the time. "Oh, no, it's almost six! I've got, like, a minute! I should go home. Bye Jack!"

The boy immediately ran off without looking back at his frosty friend, caught up in the terror of being late to a family meal.

Jack watched, smiling after the sprinting boy fondly. The day's activity, a snowball fight, had been very fun in his opinion.

"Oi, Frostbite."

The white haired guardian turned around and was greeted by a familiar furry rabbit friend, Bunnymund, the Guardian of Hope. Bunnymund hopped and stopped in front of him and let out an unpleasant exclamation.

"Brrh…so cold."

"Aw, come on… It's kinda warm, I'm actually feeling the effect of Global Warming," Jack spread his arms wide jocularly, teasing the six foot rabbit more.

"Heh! Rack off, frost bite. Anyway, North wants us to be in his workshop" – he tapped the snow-covered ground and a rabbit hole appeared – "pronto, it's an emergency."

Seeming just the slightest bit more hurried than usual, Bunnymund leapt down the hole.

Approaching the bunny hole, Jack Frost wondered, _what emergency, did something happened?_ He began to worry.

* * *

><p>Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia<p>

November 24 2014

The Bolshoi Theatre, one of Moscow's iconic buildings, stood proudly and brightly lit up by Christmas lights and paraphernalia. The people went up the hardened stairs, towards the entrance, while breathing the fresh cold air of November.

The theatre was playing one of the famous opera versions of 'The Nightmare before Christmas,' written by Tim Burton. The crowd continued their walking, creating traffic at the doorways of the theatre, unaware of a being standing on the roof of the theatre, looking down upon them with unfriendly eyes.

The figure was wearing a cloak, its blue fabric fluttering with a particularly mighty gust of wind. His blue eyes stared at the people impassively.

In silence, he opened his arms wide, jumped, and free fell from the roof. He landed with a silent thud on the pavement with both feet, unharmed and still steady upon his feet, despite the tremendous height that he'd descended from.

Still, the man remained quiet. He took out something from his cloak. If anyone had been close enough to spy upon him, they would've watched him fish out his green velvet book and open it wide.

"Well then…let us begin…" Haytham said gravely, taking his first step towards the entrance.

* * *

><p>Standing still like a statue, Haytham watched the theatre goers enter the main theatre. The lights above him slowly dimmed and just as the last person entered passed the door, he moved and ghosted along with them, entering before the door closed on the cold air outside.<p>

The sweet sound of music reverberated throughout the whole theatre. The play had begun, and every person sat in silence. Haytham stood at the back, silently observing the audience. The book in his hand glowed.

"Now where is he…?" He looked at his book; his fingers strode past a couple of names filling up an entire page. The letters, too, were glowing in green; they only ceased to do so when his fingers paused at one of the names. A thin smile spread across his lips as he moved towards the stairs.

* * *

><p>The center box of the theatre was big enough to hold important people, celebrities, and politician of the country, but as of now a single man was sitting in the middle, watching the play with dead, tired eyes.<p>

He was listening to the merry music so intently that he didn't notice another being who sat behind him.

Haytham removed his blue hat as a sign of courtesy. He stared at the old man for a second, noting the cane resting at his side, before he moved closer and whispered into his ears.

"Good evening…you may not know me…but I know you," he began. The old man grew very, very still, but he didn't turn around. "Your name is Frederic Augustuv, and you are a very important politician."

He paused and still the man didn't even respond, like he didn't hear what he was saying.

"You're here, in this country, to sign an economic peace treaty which would benefit your country and yet… here you are serving your own pleasure instead." Haytham stared at the stage with dark, emotionless eyes. "Sadly…your life ends here."

A hidden blade unsheathed from his right hand and then, in silence, he thrust it into the man's back. The old man didn't move initially, but after a minute stretched agonizingly by, his hand shook so violently his cane fell to the carpeted floor.

The old man clutched his chest tightly. He tried to shout, but his voice croaked. Falling off his chair, the old man hit the floor hard. Trembles wracked his body after his desperate, searching eyes by chance met Haytham's. The assassin was watching his struggling with an unmoved face before darkness took himover.

"That's it all for tonight…" Haytham stood up, put his large hat on his head, and with a flutter of his cape, he walked outside of the center box.

* * *

><p>Location: North Pole, North's Workshop<p>

(1 Hour earlier)

"Hmm…" North silently thought and stared hard at a huge ice block, sitting at his work table. Eyebrows furrowed and blue eyes keen, he wondered what kind of ice sculpture he would create –

_BANG._

A yeti suddenly opened his door while yelling in its own language. The Guardian of Wonder yelped in alarm.

"Aw!" Phil when will you learn how to knock?!" he scolded.

The yeti retreated in an apologetic manner, then rambling again. North's eyes widened in shock as the yeti explained his cause for alarm.

"What, the moon, Manny?" The old man stood up, took his two swords from the wall, and strode outside in a hurry.

* * *

><p>Location: North Pole, Outside North's workshop.<p>

A single step from a being caused a snow to fall on their head. A figure strode the deep, white earth in a slow, turtle-like pace.

"Oh God! Why North Pole?! Why?! Why?! Why?!" the man said, clothed in an elegant red coat hanging on his shoulders.

"Why is it so cold here?! I thought Global Warming already 'did' it's job!" he protested while he fixed his red glasses over his green eyes. His crimson hair floundered after a cold wind brushed pass, igniting his anger more.

"Oh! I'll get to it –! I, Grell Sutcliff, shall get to it –!" His red and black high heeled ankle boots sank deep into the snow as he resumed his walking.

* * *

><p>North Pole, Globe Room<p>

"Shoo little pointy heads," North said as he walked with caution through a group of his little elves preoccupied by looking at the gigantic globe. The Globe room, which was decorated by paintings of children smiling and playing around the wall, was the heart of his workshop. The large globe suspended in the middle of the room, glowed and made low humming sounds as it slowly rotated.

The moon's light, coming from the hole above, shone brightly at the globe. The old Guardian stood in front of a console.

"Good day Manny!" he shouted cheerfully to the moon. "What news do you bring to me, my friend?"

Curious to the moon's action, he waited patiently, and after a second, it released a bright beam. The moon shone at the globe and from it, a light poured out and cast a shadow at the floor where the insignia of the Big 4 Guardian was etched.

North looked at it and exclaimed. A shadow began to form and covered the symbol; it was a menacing silhouette of a man with a hood on his head.

"Oh no…" the old man said worriedly.

_Another enemy…_his mind formed a conclusion and he immediately reacted. His hand grabbed a lever and with a push the globe radiated and cast a colorful aurora in the night sky, a symbol of danger.

* * *

><p>Woo-hoo! First Chap is done, reviews please, anything even if its bad, something for improvement or good Special thanks to wolfluvermh for beta-reading :)<p> 


	3. Canto II : The Guardian in Blue

Canto II

There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in times of misery.

-Dante Alighieri-

Location: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

The early morning sun slowly rose from the horizon, bathing the majestic suspension bridge with calm yellow light. The gentle cold breeze swept past the road below. Small cars coming from different roads drove along the bridge in a calm manner. There wasn't even heavy traffic.

A silent figure standing on the top of an archway of the bridge, peered down to the road below.

Haytham calmly took out his green book and opened it, scanning the names that were 'listed' with an expressionless gaze.

"Right on schedule…" His sharp eyes were pinned on a large truck just passing beneath the archway where he stood.

"At this exact moment…" He returned the book to his pocket impassively, "…500 people will die." He smoothly withdrew his pistol from its holster and pointed it to a steel cable. Taking his aim, he muttered lowly, "Nothing more…nothing less…"

Unhesitant, he immediately pulled the trigger. His pistol glowed red ominously before shooting out the bullet with an ear-shattering bang.

A flock of panicked seagulls flapped away from him, squawking in fear. He ignored them; his eyes are focused only on the bullet as it shot straight forward, hitting a steel cable.

A mere cable could not withstand the force of that bullet.

It broke.

The broken cable fell limply forwards and hit another cable, causing it to snap under the increased tension and weight.

And like a game of dominos, one cable fell after another and another and another - sending the bridge to its watery death and bringing along multiple cars with it.

Haytham Kenway watched with unmerciful eyes at the horrors that were taking place beneath him. After a minute of watching the humans sink to their deathbeds, he sighed and looked towards the dawning sky.

"I hope you're watching… Moon."

* * *

><p>Location: North Pole, North's Workshop, Globe Room<p>

"Oh, there's one in Nevada, do you mind making another stop? Honey, that one belongs in the southern drawers."

Tooth was flying around the globe in hyperactive circles with an entourage of her mini look-a-likes following her.

She was busy, busy, busy.

She needed to allocate jobs to her mini fairies and help along the newer ones. She had no time to idle; there was always one thing or another that needed her attention most desperately.

On the other hand, Sandman, the little Guardian of Good Dreams, was floating on one corner sleeping with unfinished eggnog in his hand. Which promptly fell out of his hand when Jack barged into the room, loudly announcing his presence.

"Hey guys I'm here!"

He landed with an excited grin on his face.

"Jack! It's been so long!" Tooth buzzed towards him and engulfed him with a hug. Jack laughed and put up with Tooth's excitable behaviour, but his laughter stopped short when Tooth shoved her fingers in his mouth and proceeded to inspect his teeth.

"Are your teeth well? Oh dear... your left incisor has cavities!" Tooth worriedly examined the winter sprite's teeth with much care.

"Hey there Toothy, still in love with Frostie's teeth?" Bunny chuckled as he stood by the fireplace warming his paws.

The Tooth Fairy immediately moved away, blushing heavily but unrepentant of her excitement for Jack's wonderful, sparkly teeth.

"Greetings, everyone. I'm glad that you're all here." North came out from a room and greeted everyone cheerfully.

"So, North, what's the big emergency?" Jack asked, after all the greetings were said and done.

North stroked his beard, unsure of how to explain the situation.

"Well uh... About that… It-"

"Wait. Is this about Pitch? Did Pitch get out from exile?" Jack asked anxiously, but North shook his head.

"In a way, it's worse than that…"

Everyone glanced at each other nervously. Pitch was their most formidable enemy. What could be worse than that?

"Guardians, we have a new enemy."

Gasps of shocks were heard. An enemy worse than Pitch Black himself.

North was about to speak when Phil appeared beside him and muttering something to him in Yeti.

"My, my... We have visitors... mhm..." North nodded and suddenly exclaimed, "The Knoxes?! Very well. Let them in. Quickly."

"What's that North?" Jack asked curiously, watching Phil running off in a hurry.

"We have visitors, Jack. Not any ol' visitors either. The Knoxes have come to pay us a visit for some reason."

Sandy's face was a picture of pure mortification; his dream sand were making images too quick for the eye to even follow.

Tooth yelped in shock, in unison with her mini fairies who were fluttering about in a flurry of panic.

Bunny spat out the eggnog that he was drinking all over the elf and this all happened right after they heard the word 'Knoxes'.

"Dl—Dlanor! She's here?!"

"Oh no. I have to hide my hidden carrots, my illegal paint jobs!"

The obvious hysteria coming from the normally calm Guardians made the oblivious winter spirit unbelievably curious and slightly afraid.

"Guys! Who's Dlanor and what are the Knoxes?"

The four Guardians stared at him in varying degrees of shock at the clueless Guardian of Fun.

"Jack," Tooth buzzed towards him and said, "Dlanor A. Knox. Simply put, she's the leader of this world's police force, The Knoxes."

"Police-?"

"Oh strewth, here they come!" Bunny hopped towards North, and was definitely not hiding behind him. Jack made a mental note to tease Bunny about this later, he was too curious to do so now.

Only he was eagerly looking towards the lift, anticipating the people that will arrive.

The lift doors opened wide.

A company of three females and a man walked out from the lift.

He noticed two similar looking women; one with long blonde hair and the other was shoulder-length light brown hair. Both were wearing identical blue cleric robe with a hat, bearing an insignia of a pair of crossing keys over a weighing scale of Maat, on their heads.

But his eyes could not help but be drawn to another similarly clad lady with beautiful lavender hair. It wasn't her odd coloured hair that grabbing his attention. No. It was her left hand, not surprising since it was made of gold.

After getting over his shock at the strange sight, he observed her companion, the only man in their company of four.

He painted an intimidating picture, being six foot tall and clothed in a knee-length dark blue trench coat and a hat with an insignia of a pair of crossing keys over a gavel. His face seemed to be perpetually set in that grave expression.

"Madame Dlanor, it's been a while since your last visit here," the Guardian of Wonder boomed. The golden-eyed woman bowed in response.

"It is a pleasure to be here, Sir North. However, we mustn't tarry any longer with the pleasantries. There is a grave matter here," She said with a serious expression on her face.

* * *

><p>Jack flew towards a slightly wary Bunnymund that was not cowering behind an armchair.<p>

"Hey, Kangaroo. Who are they?"

"They are the 1st branch of Inquisitor of Heresy, the Eiserne Jungfrau. See that lady there talking to North? That's Dlanor A. Knox and the others are her subordinates. She is the Guardian of Truth and she is one tough cookie. She is also known as The Death Sentence Dlanor," Bunny didn't even react to that dratted nickname Jack insisted on giving him, but to be fair, he was probably still shock over the fact that Dlanor, herself was in the workshop.

Jack was surprised. Bunny's description of Dlanor made her seem like a terrifying person despite her appearance.

"Uh… Then what about that guy?" Jack pointed at the tall man who was standing still beside the control panel, eyes scanning the workshop carefully.

"Oh him... never heard much 'bout of him. I just know that his name is Aiden 'H' Pearce, he is Dlanor's successor. He doesn't have Guardianship, but he goes by the titles of... the Anti-Heretical Detective, the Fox, and the Watchdog," Bunny rambled.

For_ 'not hearing much about him',_ Bunny sure knows a lot. Jack mused.

But speak of the devil and he'll appear, well at least in this case, he'll notice you. Bunny suddenly turned mute and resumed his cowering position behind the armchair when a pair of intense green eyes stared them down.

Jack stared back at the green-eyed man for a moment but quickly looked away. Those eyes are scary.

Suddenly, Phil the Yeti came up from the stairs and hurriedly ran to North. North let Phil talk, interrupting Dlanor who was in the process of reporting an issue to him, making her look slightly cross.

"Another visitor? Lady Tsukiyomi? Why…"

Dlanor cleared her throat, cutting into North's confusion. North turned to Dlanor, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"I called her here. We need her and I know you're acquainted with her."

"Uh... well then. Phil, quickly let her in," North commanded. The Yeti sighed and hurried off again. Jack wondered, now who's Lady Tsukiyomi?

"Oh wonderful! Tsukiyomi's here! Jack, do you know her?" Tooth landed beside him and asked him excitedly.

The winter spirit only shook his head and shrugged helplessly.

"North and I first met her during the Y2K problem in Japan and China. She helped us make the children believe again."

Jack was surprised. The Y2K Problem was a problem for both digital and non-digital documentation and data storage situations, which resulted from the practice of abbreviating a four-digit year to two digits. This made year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900. Despite companies and organisations worldwide checking and fixing their computer programmes, there were multiple cases of computer failures and lost much valuable information.

It also caused widespread paranoia as the problem, too, affected the weapon defence systems of America and other powerful countries, activating and nearly launching their missiles against each other.

The fear, panic, and paranoia of the adults had affected every child. The negativity surrounding them constantly, had taken its toll on the children's minds, poisoning their belief of the Guardians... But it was stopped by a single woman – Lady Tsukiyomi.

"Oh, there she is! Tsuki-chan!" Tooth immediately bee-lined towards her, a grin stretching across her face.

Jack turned around, wanting to follow Tooth but stopped in his tracks to stare the Japanese beauty just across the room.

She was gorgeous. Dressed in a flowery white kimono with her dark silver hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, she gave off an aura of ethereal grace and beauty.

That aura seemed to have completely destroyed the winter spirit's self-consciousness and struck him dumb because he couldn't even will himself to avert his eyes from the Lady. Not even when her beautiful silver eyes stared directly into his.

"And here he is! This is Jack Frost, the Guardian of Fun," Toothiana excitedly guided Tsukiyomi to the ironically frozen stiff Jack.

Lady Tsukiyomi bowed and spoke in a clear ringing voice,

"It's nice to meet you, Jack-san. Tooth-san and North-sama always talk about you whenever they visit my shrine."

Jack instantly turned redder than a tomato after hearing the sweet Asian accent of the woman. Before he could even string two words together, the Lady was called away.

"Tsukiyomi-san, over here."

Dlanor's no-nonsense tone immediately grabbed Tsukiyomi's attention. Sparing Jack and Tooth a slight smile and bow, she begged her pardon and left, leaving Jack in a tongue-tied mess and Tooth manically smiling at the obviously crushing winter spirit.

"Aw. Rack off, Snowy," Bunny nudged him in the arm and laughed.

The Guardian of Fun scowled at him and floated up, rubbing his slightly bruised arm and asked crossly,

"What?"

"What do ya mean 'what'? It's obvious. You're crushing on her." Bunny waggled his eyebrows.

Jack's face burned bright red.

"What? No. I- How could you say that?"

Tooth giggled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Jack, stop your denials. It's obvious that you're crushing on her. It's perfectly normal."

"You can crush all you want, Frostbite. But you can't date her. Trust me. I've tried." Bunny shrugged nonchalantly. "Didn't even pass the flirting stage."

Jack blinked in surprise. _He tried to date her...?_ He started laughing uproariously as he tried imagining Bunny's attempts at hitting on Lady Tsukiyomi.

"North, I forgot to inform you. We will be having one more visitor..."

North silently groaned in protest at the Guardian of Truth's statement. He really disliked unexpected visitors. They're really too much trouble to deal with.

Phil entered the room, huffing and puffing. Before he could even utter a word, North waved a hand at him.

"I know, I know." North sighed. "Let them in."

Phil wheezed a little, before stumbling, running off.

Minutes later, the lift came up and everyone, except for the Inquisitors, were staring in varying degrees of shock and surprise at the huge block of ice being pushed into the room by Phil and another of his fellow Yeti.

Phil grumbled slightly before letting out a sigh. He lifted a giant ice pick above his head and sent it crashing down onto the ice, practically cleaving the block into two.

"Oh God! Finally, somewhere warm!"

To everyone's surprise, a person was revealed from the crushed ice block.

Jack stared to the visitor. The first thing that popped into his mind was that he was very… red.

The man had long blood red hair and had a similarly red coat that hanging around his elbows along with a red and white striped bow tie over his black vest.

"Dlanor-! If you're going to contact Will, please make sure you make an appointment!" He grouched, crossing his arms and stomping his red and black high-heeled ankle boots at small, unmoved Guardian.

"Very well. I will remember that next time." Dlanor's simple response just made him even more aggravated.

The man made a frustrated sound at the back of his throat, before he spun around, deciding to ignore the source of his anger.

Seeing North's raised eyebrows at his behaviour, the man cleared his throat and grinned, showing off his shark-like teeth.

"Greetings, Mister North. My name is Grell Sutcliff and I'm a fabulous, mongoose-tin, Grim Reaper!" He ended his animated introduction with a flamboyant flip of his hair.

Grell gave the room's occupants a quick glance, but once his eyes landed on Jack, he completely changed into another person.

"Oh my! Aren't you the most adorable thing on earth!" He practically squealed. Before Jack could even think about fleeing, the Grim Reaper launched himself towards Jack, trapping him in a hug, rubbing his cheek against his head of snow-white hair.

"Such a cutie!"

"G-get ofv-" The winter Guardian tried to struggle out off the red head's impossibly tight grip.

"However, my Sebas-chan is more of a hottie!" Grell decided, releasing Jack from his stranglehold

He quickly whisked away and stood beside Aiden Pearce shooting him a wink. The Detective, in response, aimed a menacing glare at him, warning the Red Grim Reaper not to even think about bursting his personal space bubble.

"Now then," Dlanor called out to everyone. "Since everyone is here... We may begin the meeting."

* * *

><p>England, West Sussex, Hellingly Asylum<p>

November 25 2014

Hellingly Asylum, commonly called as Hellingly Hospital, stood out against the starless night sky. The establishment was located near a silent, tranquil village of Hellingly.

The mental asylum was now abandoned due to the loss of financial interest in its maintenance and the fact that no one dared to tread into its halls.

What could be the reason for this strong fear?

Ghosts.

This asylum is heavily haunted. Haunted by tortured patients who died from medieval methods of curing mental illnesses and doctors that were murdered by the ghosts they killed.

Death upon death.

Vengeance upon vengeance.

Blood upon blood.

This never-ending cycle caused the hospital to close down and have a most fearsome reputation.

It also helped that the hospital is quite isolated. Making it difficult for the locals to even access the place. Not that they even want to, of course.

Not a single living thing dared to go near this haunted ground. Not. A. Single. Thing.

… But nobody said anything about non-living beings.

A silhouette of a man with a dark cape swishing silently behind him, walked across the haunted land.

Haytham Kenway sighed and breathed in the fresh cold air of November. He pushed open the door with a loud creak greeting him and entered the haunted asylum.

The doors of the Theatre Hall of Hellingly Asylum opened wide as Haytham strode in.

The walls and flooring of the room were decaying and crumbling away. A dull painting of smiling angels-its vibrancy long faded away as the years passed-covered the ceiling.

Haytham walked straight ahead towards the end of the great hall, his cape fluttering slightly with every movement.

In this desolate place, dust covered everything like a thick layer of snow. The only exception was a high backed chair in the middle of the stage.

The chair was adorned with a large cross and emitted sense of grandness over the abandoned hall, making it seem like a throne, instead of just a chair.

Haytham sat on his 'throne' and sighed. Exhausted by the day's work, he closed his eyes and rubbed them.

"Welcome home..." his monotonous and melancholic voice echoed throughout the empty hall.

"Welcome home..." he repeated again, sighing. Of course, no one answered him.

Breathing in deeply, he snapped out of his melancholic groove and took out his green book from his coat.

The cover of the book glowed in the same shade of green as the names written on its pristine white pages.

"Now... Show me the world." Reacting to his command, the book started glowing brighter.

Suddenly, the pages of the book released a beam of green light forming thousands and thousands of orbs.

The glowing orbs spiralled towards the vast open space of the hall and began to form an even larger orb.

Haytham watched with interest. Even though he has seen this countless of times before, it never failed to impress him with its light theatrics.

After a while, the orbs finally stilled.

Haytham stared at the large glowing model of the earth hovering in front of him. Its bright light casted eerie shadows on the ceiling and walls, and coloured everything in a toxic green shade.

He raised his hand and rotated the globe slowly. Country by country, his fingers glided over the dots, which glowed in light green.

The dots represented every single living human currently residing in the earth right now. Each dot contained a specific person's picture, their age, gender, date of birth... and the cause and predicted time of death.

"So..." Haytham pressed a dot and a profile of a teenager popped up. "... Who am I going to kill tomorrow?" His blue eyes landed on the name.

"Jamie Bennett…"

* * *

><p>North Pole, North's Workshop, Globe Room<p>

(12 Hours later)

It was the longest and most arduous meeting Jack has ever been. And it hasn't even ended yet!

Jack yawned and silently slumped down in a chair, he watched North trying to convince Dlanor of the new threat they are facing.

"Manny is warning us. He has shown me a shadow. A shadow of an unfamiliar figure. This could only mean one thing! A new enemy has arisen!"

"A silhouette of a hooded man. Are you sure that you haven't encountered any being that matches that description."

Dlanor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I still refuse to believe that there is an unknown threat, that we do not know about."

Dlanor turned to the Red Reaper.

"Grell, what about you?"

"Nope, nada, even if I saw him, I would have probably just ignored him if he wasn't interesting..." Grell shrugged nonchalantly before turning his attention back to flirting with Jack.

Jack squirmed uncomfortably under his attention and pointedly trying to ignore him.

"I'm very sorry... I have not seen anyone of that description in my territory," Lady Tsukiyomi followed.

Sandman waved both of his hands, calling the attention of the Inquisitor, and created several sand images over his head.

"Can he speak?" Aiden said coldly, interrupting the Dream Guardian from creating more sand dialogue.

Sandy slumped his shoulders in hurt.

"Aiden..." Dlanor said warningly.

He pressed his lips in a thin line, appearing to be slightly contrite.

"Sorry. It's just that I don't understand what he's saying."

North helpfully translated. "He's suggesting that we could ask the prisoners back in the court."

"That will take too long." His brief moment of contriteness vanished as the man spoke coldly towards Sandy.

The Guardian of Dreams frowned at his unpleasant disposition and floated away from him, standing beside a sympathetic Toothiana.

Jack, while glaring at Adien, noticed something. The moon was shining brightly against the deep, night sky outside, slowly a bright beam of moonlight shone onto the floor.

"Guys! It's the Man in the Moon!" Jack shouted.

Everyone turned around and stared at the spot of moonlight.

"Look... It is the shadow man again." North squatted and stared at the shadow of the man with a hood, with keen and cautious eyes.

"Same thing as earlier..." Aiden murmured.

"Cornelia, Gertrude, document this," Dlanor ordered. Her two subordinates saluted her in response.

"Yes Ma'am!"

"It looks boring," Grell yawned. Tsukiyomi stared at the disrespectful Reaper with a disapproving look on her face.

"Manny," North looked at the moon and continued, "Tell us more, we're all at a loss. We do not know who the new enemy is."

The shadow disappeared and the moonbeam moved to another spot.

Everyone gasped as a pedestal with a large diamond on top emerged from the floor. It then glowed in a bright, blue light and the light formed into a figure of a man.

"North. Is that-"

"Yes, Toothiana..."

"Really!? Oh strewth…"

"A new Guardian!"

"Gertrude, Cornelia-"

"We're still recording ma'am," Dlanor turned to Aiden who was watching with expressionless eyes.

"Remind me to put this in my report."

"Yeah-," however his sentence was cut when the hazy figure started clearing up and becoming more detailed.

Everyone scrutinized the image.

It was a man with an old face, but handsome features, wearing a blue cloak and a dark blue cape with an insignia of a cross and an eagle spreading its wings. He was also wearing a strange 18th century english hat and wielding a sword in his left hand and gun in his right.

"Oh my!" Grell exclaimed loudly with hearts replacing his eyes, "my death love scope is activating! Mwah!" He stared at the image with drooling mouth.

"Ho ho, who is this?" North stared at the image without a clue who this new Guardian could be.

"I dunno, mate. It's the first time I've seen this prince-like fella," Bunny shrugged. Jack had a confused look in his face with his head cocked to the side.

"Well. It's okay as long he's a good person right?" Tooth asked but Dlanor responded immediately.

"No, North. This is very wrong." North stared at the Guardian of Truth in confusion.

"That man," Aiden Pearce butted in, "is a bad one."

"Why's that?" Jack crossed his arms on his chest, face painted with scepticism. He didn't like people making unbiased judgements; after all he was a victim of them before.

Aiden met straight the white-haired Guardian in the eye and said,

"Because wherever he appears... a disaster happens."

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character's and places and events that were mentioned. Special thanks to insane panda for proofreading. :) please post positive reviews for this revise chapter please if you're planning to.<p> 


	4. Canto III : The Vatican Incident

Canto III

"_A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark."_

_-Dante Alighieri-_

* * *

><p>The machines of the factory within the confines of North's Workshop moved merrily and produced the sounds of progress as the Yetis pressed and operated with energy and restlessness.<p>

The mood of the yetis was all jolly and happy. They either hum Christmas songs while they paint cars, embroidered dresses for dolls merrily, or sung loudly and joyously in their native tongue which was a very unpleasant sound to the Guardians' ears so the yetis elected to do it when they weren't around.

Phil nodded contentedly as he finished dyeing, with edible food coloring, the last of 30 batches of candy canes in red and green colors. He, however, paused and looked up with concern to the Globe above. _How's the meeting gonna end?_ He thought anxiously but shrugged off the feeling of unease and resumed his task.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean 'disaster happens' pal?" Bunny crossed his arms on his furry chest in a ridiculed manner and his green skeptical eyes gazed at Aiden who merely took out a small circular object from his trench coat in response.<p>

"I'll show you," Aiden pressed the object which in turn produced a whirling sound first, then it burst, producing a large beam of white light and then several holo-case pictures popped out and floated about the room.

Everyone, other than Aiden and the rest of Dlanor's group, looked on with astonishment at the hovering pictures. The advanced technology of the group had surprised the others.

"This is the first photograph that one of my 'specters' took." Aiden took one of the holo-photos, enlarged it, and pushed it towards the Globe, putting it on display for all in the room to see.

It was a picture of hundreds of people; all were angry, furious, in despair and pointing at the man, kneeling on an elevated platform that looked an awful lot like a guillotine.

"Hang on a sec, is this the French Rev?" Bunny asked and the Detective gave an almost mechanic nod.

"Now pay attention… see that shadow on the roof of Versailles?" Everyone moved closer to the large photo with curiosity and gazed everywhere, searching for the familiar silhouette of the unknown Guardian. True enough they saw the hazy figure, standing beside a gargoyle and looking down at the people below.

"Heck, that pic's not clear enough…"

"There's more." Aiden then started showing and pointing the man out in each photo that he had scattered about the room.

Jack listened fixedly and was astounded. The new Guardian wasn't really a new one, he was also everywhere. He appeared during the Second French Revolution, where hundreds of innocent people died. In the Russian Revolution where the Russians stormed into the Romanov Palace, killing all the soldiers and servants within.

The man appeared on the day when the famous and ill-fated ship, Titanic, left for New York. He was standing on the railing, looking at the people below as the ship moved. Then he appeared again, as one of the people standing on the sidewalk as the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand paraded and passed through the crowds. Franz was assassinated later that day which marked the beginning of World War I.

Then there was the sinking of RMS Lusitania during the Second World War, the man was there, standing on the bow.

"This is the most recent photo." Aiden Pearce then enlarged the holo-photo and showed it to the Guardians. The photograph showed a street blocked by trees, leaves and all sorts of debris scattered everywhere, a sign of a devastation that had to be that of a strong typhoon. The man was there again standing on top of the belfry of a church.

"This is…?"

"It was taken in the Republic of the Philippines, during the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in the City of Tacloban." The guardians looked at each other, bewildered, shocked and somehow… terrified. All of them looked at each other, aghast, mystified, and silently agreed with what the Detective said about the man. The Guardian was, somehow, deeply involved in all of those famous horrible disasters that had taken place around the world.

_Who could this guardian be… and why didn't we notice him earlier…?_ Jack wondered deeply while he stared at the picture were the unknown guardian was shown.

"Aiden-san what about this photo?" Lady Tsukiyomi held a photo in her hand and showed it to the man.

"This…?" Aiden took a look at the picture in order to recall the accompanying tragedy. "That was during the Hindenburg Airship disaster and this is the only clear photo of him."

Jack moved closer to Tsukiyomi and looked at the photo and examined it with keenness. Standing on the top of the airship, with his cape fluttering was the mysterious Guardian, however this time he saw the unidentified man clearly, just not his face-

"Oh my gawd-!" Grell immediately snatched the photo away from the lady and promptly hugged it.

"Aiden-chan, can I keep this photo-"

"No…"

"But he's so cute in here!" Grell pestered but Aiden only stared at him with serious, deadpanned eyes.

Jack and Tsukiyomi only sighed in umbrage. _Boy 'she' is on cloud nine… _he thought, discontentedly, while staring at the grim reaper.

* * *

><p>Grell continued his bickering meanwhile the detective was still unmoved by his action. Aiden continued saying 'no' to the bothersome grim reaper that he had imaginatively killed 238 times in just two seconds. He only sighed in pique and stopped his brutal imagination.<p>

"Oh please just a Xerox copy-"

"No."

"But you have tons of photos of him already!"

"I said no-" he cut himself off before he could finish when he heard the ringing of the phone in his pocket, disrupting the argument. The detective turned his back to the vexatious grim reaper, took out his phone and opened it. The screen lit up in his eyes and showed him a map of some foreign city with a blinking red circle, pointing at one particular building.

"Dlanor… one of my 7 billion specters has recognized an unknown G-aura signature." He reported to the rigid woman who only nodded mechanically.

"Where?"

Aiden moved his thumb all over the screen of his phone, scanning the map and pressing a couple of buttons, before answering.

"He's in…Vatican City."

The Guardians looked at Aiden, confounded by what the man said. "Guardian-aura signature… could it be the mysterious one that Manny showed?" North asked as the Detective put his phone back in his pocket.

"Yes… I've been trying to track him down for centuries ever since… the Russian Revolution."

Jack, stupefied to what the man said, thought with astonishment, _This guy is a hard core…_before saying. "We'll help you track him down." Jack willingly took a step forward as Bunny and the Guardians smiled at him and voiced their agreement in wanting to help.

Aiden Pearce stared at them, still with an impassive face and didn't show any reaction. He glanced at Dlanor with inquiring eyes and waited for her response. The woman who was looking over a photograph closed her eyes and nodded.

"Request granted Aiden," she swiped the holo-picture away from her face and opened her eyes and added in a placid tone, "provided that you will only catch him and I'll be the one to interrogate him."

Aiden blinked and raised his right eyebrow, mentally opposing what his superior conditioned to him; however he only obediently nodded and said, "Yes Ma'am."

Dlanor then took out a small dice-like, object from her cloak pocket. Using her gold hand she pressed it. The little box produced a humming sound and emitted a blue-green colored spark before it shook violently and grew to a medium size.

Jack watched with his mouth hanging open, stunned and dumbfounded again, by the technology that the group possessed.

Cornelia and Gertrude moved and stood in front of their superior before the long haired one opened it and her shorter haired partner took out something. They then moved steadily towards Aiden. Cornelia, rigidly moved her hands and showed the object to the Detective, the object being a large gun made from a black colored metal.

"Detective Aiden Pearce, this is your gun, 'the Dominator,'" Aiden took the gun and raised it at the ceiling. The gun suddenly glowed in blue-green and activated its integrated computer voice which spoke directly to the man's ears.

**REGISTERING USER: DETECTIVE AIDEN 'HUNTER' PEARCE**

**AFFILIATION AND OCCUPATION: DETECTIVE AND HEAD OF SURVEILLANCE SPECTRAL AGENCY**

**REGISTRATION COMPLETE**

**HAPPY HUNTING AND MAY THE TRUTH PREVAIL**

_I said there's no H in my name… _Aiden discreetly griped to the gun's voice as Gertrude and Cornelia dictate about how he must handle his gun.

"Allow me to speak. Detective Aiden Pearce, you're only allowed to use 'Non-Lethal Paralyzer Mode.'"

"Allow me to speak. If you use higher mode without permission or enough reason, you'll be subjected to questioning and will result to imprisonment."

Aiden only nodded before he looked at Dlanor. The woman sighed at the reckless detective before she said.

"I don't want you to torture the prisoner, that's all…" she turned her back to him and swiped a photo out of the way. The man grunted and put 'the Dominator' into his gun holster. He then walked towards the Guardians ready for combat.

"Well let's get going-"

"I'm coming too, if you don't mind…" Grell suddenly appeared beside them and sheepishly smiled at the group, who all silently squirmed in indignation. The annoying Grim reaper smiled at Aiden who ignored and said distinctly.

"Do what you have to do. Your mission I mean."

"I'm with you Aiden-san." Lady Tsukiyomi stood beside him with her eyes cast at Jack whose face went red again. She smiled and added nicely, "Dlanor asked me to come with you."

_More like ordered,_ Aiden thought oppositely as the Asian Guardian looked at Dlanor.

"Well then Aiden," everyone looked at the Guardian of Truth who was looking at the globe with stern eyes. "Commence Operation: Get the unknown Guardian. Dismissed." Aiden bowed as North laughed.

"All-righty everyone! Onto the sleigh!" The guardians yelled in joy and excitement with the exception of Bunnymund who made his displeasure at the thought of flying very clear. Their mission was to retrieve the Guardian who could vanquish the new threat and they will be sure that they got to him.

Aiden silently watched them enter the lift with stagnant eyes. _This isn't a field trip… _he protested and criticized each one of them bitingly. "I'm stuck with bunch of idiots," he silently murmured as he entered the lift.

* * *

><p>Vatican City<p>

November 26 2014

The City of Vatican was brightly lit up by ancient buildings and Christmas lights. Tiny bits of rain silently fell to the ground only to be stepped on by crowds of people, coming to and fro, from shops, restaurants, and other establishments in the area.

_Disgusting… _Haytham Kenway silently criticized a group of teenagers discussing animatedly, inside a coffee shop with dreary eyes. He quietly traversed the crowded, cold, wet sidewalk and passed through some people in the process. He neither bothered dodging a dog that passed through under him nor did he say 'excuse me' after he stepped on a beggar sitting in the dirty street.

How can he care when no one saw him. "The good thing of invisibility," he dictated as he crossed a busy road and passed through some speeding cars.

Hours and hours, he continued his walk tirelessly until he came to a stop.

"Hmm… so much for my great expectations…" Haytham grumbled. The St Peter's Square was crowded by devoted Catholics from all over the world. The basilica shone brightly against the dark, cloudy, afternoon sky.

The man looked around, searching for a vantage point, before he resumed and entered the dense mass of people.

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><p>ABOVE IN THE SKY OF VATICAN CITY<p>

North and the Guardians, using the sleigh, exited the magic portal above the skies of Vatican City. Jack looked down and saw the glimmering lights coming from the buildings. He then asked Aiden who was sitting, unmoved and still, looking down at his little phone.

"Say, Aiden!" the man merely looked at him, "How can we find him and um… what're specters?"

Aiden with a cloth covering his mouth said gravely. "Will-o-wisps… to be exact lost souls whom I employed to work under me."

Jack smiled and simply nodded and looked down again. _Good thing this city is small…_ he breathed the fresh air and wondered. "Who's this guardian hmm…?"

"All right lads! We're going to land there at the Vatican Gardens, hang on tight!" North whipped his reindeer and began a rapid descent.

"Hey, hey! Watch the speed; I don't like vibrations like this!" Grell complained as Sandy and Bunnymund-who was already feeling under just being in the sleigh-tried to ignore him while holding their temper towards the menacing grim reaper at bay.

Bunnymund glanced at Sandman and mentally thought, _Ugh… I want this she-male-like being off the sleigh! Or just get me off at the very least!_ The rabbit grunted as the grim reaper continued his annoying rant.

* * *

><p>Castel Sant'Angelo<p>

The Castel Sant'Angelo stood proudly against the overshadowed clouds that covered the sky. Tourists flocking through the entrances and started to leave the grand piece of architecture. It was closing time and an event will happen in the St. Peter's Square.

"…" Haytham silently watched the crowds as they walked along the bridge that lead to the road with keen eyes. He took out his green book, flipped the pages with his fingers silently and stared at a particular name.

"Wonderful… just wonderful," he murmured, a thin smile appearing on his face. "I guess the lad Jamie Bennett can wait… this one, however, is just out of my curiosity." He spoke as his eyes read the name of his target.

"Interesting… how the world will react when they see one of the most iconic men in the whole world… die while participating in a simple, innocent, mass…" he stared at the grand dome of the Basilica of St Peter's like an eagle watching its prey.

The clouds suddenly cleared and the moon's rays poured out and made the man turn. Haytham silently observed the moon with examining eyes before saying, "Speak of the devil… didn't I tell you what will happen to you when you appear again?"

His tone turned into menacing as he scowled up at the moon.

"Good thing you're up there, looking down at me like I'm some kind of piece on a chess board." He turned his back at the moon and scoffed off, his eye brows were furrowed in anger while he said to himself.

_I don't need your pity._

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><p>Jack flew and scanned the rooftops of buildings. He hovered low, just above the roofs searching for any sign of the unidentified guardian.<p>

"Jack-san, let's look over there…" Lady Tsukiyomi, despite her graceful, sensitive-like, body, ran at almost the same speed as him.

The winter guardian whispered in astonishment, praising the woman and her deceiving looks that covered her real power.

"Maybe he's on the ground." The slender woman jumped from the roof, dropping 10 meters and landed on the road. She ran with both of her arms on her back, making her white flower decorated kimono flutter and gave her the look of some kind of a ninja.

The two then proceeded to enter another Vatican Garden.

* * *

><p>"Aw dang it!" Bunny protested as he hopped to the wet roof top of a building. "Why do I have to be with 'her'?!" He glanced and saw Grell landing beside him. The grim reaper moved her red glasses and beamed his sparkling eyes at the rabbit.<p>

"Nyuhuhu… oh Vatican… nothing has changed…" he giggled and moved ahead of the rabbit and landed on the next building, searching for the familiar guardian.

"Oh I'll get you… Here comes 'lovely Grell'… mwah." He said to himself happily and reached a staggering speed.

* * *

><p>Haytham, with his eyes closed, stood still on top of an arch way of the Castel Sant'Angelo. He blended with the statues so much because of his calm, unmoved, manner of standing.<p>

_10… 9… 8… _he was counting down mentally while he was concentrating. A clock tower, somewhere in the city rang and chimed its bells. The man after he heard the clock's alarm opened his eyes and casted his gaze to the large dome of the holy Basilica where a mass was being held.

"Well then… right on schedule." Haytham took out his gun, raised and pointed it to the Basilica of St Peter's and uttered plainly. "The target is the ambassador of Vespania." His gun then glowed in deep, crimson, red as he put his finger on the trigger.

"Trying to play innocent when you're clearly guilty of embezzling your country's money… and selling military state secrets," a thin smile spread across his face as his finger began toying the trigger of his gun, "A typical politician…" he muttered.

* * *

><p>(1 hour earlier)<p>

Aiden scanned with his sharp green eyes the busy streets of the city. He glanced at the top of a building after he saw a glint, but quickly looked away ignoring it.

Suddenly his phone beeps in his pocket. The man quickly took it out and pressed a button, summoning a map. Another beep reverberated from his phone, showing and detecting a large aura which made his eyes light up.

"Aiden!" he turned around and was greeted by Jack and Lady Tsukiyomi who were running towards him.

"Find him yet?"

"Yes, now let's go, the signature is so great." Aiden then bent his knees and with full power, jumped towards the rooftop of the building. He then ran as Jack and Tsukiyomi ran alongside him.

"Lady Tsukiyomi."

"You can call me Tsuki, Jack-san." Tsuki said as she smiled at Jack while they ran behind the Detective.

Jack smiled and then commented, "Aiden sure is a hardcore man…"

"Indeed he is, he's a good man who does his duties well," Jack stared in awe at Aiden, perplexed and wordlessly applauded the man.

* * *

><p>Haytham silently stared at the St Peter's Basilica with his finger at the trigger, ready to pull. He was pointing his gun at the marvelous building.<p>

"Hmph… this is your end…" he then uttered a command, "Death by Snipe," his gun suddenly glowed in deep, crimson, red as it made a loud thud and the whole barrel changed. It became longer and far deadlier than before.

"…" Haytham, now that his gun had changed into a large, long-range, sniper rifle, gave a small heave and lifted the heavy projectile weapon. His eyes looked through the scope and he smirked before saying.

"May the father of Understanding Guide us-"

"No!"

Haytham, wide eyed in aghast and shock, looked over his shoulder and reflexively moved but he was already too late. A fist, coming from an unknown being, hit his left cheek with a tremendous force and at the same time made his finger press the trigger of his weapon.

A loud shot echoed through the cloudy, starless, night sky.

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><p>Whoa finally updated after for a long while, special thanks to Himawari-no-Ichizoku and SilversunnyD for proofreading. Thanks for those who read my chapters and left a review. Thank you!<p> 


	5. Canto IV : Entrapment

Canto IV

Abandoned Hope all ye who enter here

-Dante Alighieri-

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><p>Swishing through the air between the buildings, over the heads of people on a crowded alley an unseen, crimson-colored bullet flew at a tremendous speed.<p>

The projectile object hurled pass a banner and magically bent and turned to the right of a building. It continued travelling across the vast, open, and crowded, St. Peters Square and then it passed through the large doors of the basilica.

Inside the building, it turned sharply to the right and went through the keyhole of the closed, locked, doors of the Sistine Chapel. The bullet flew upward, then made a barrel roll, and speedily went down to hit…an unoccupied chair besides the silently praying, Ambassador of Vespania, the intended target.

Haytham missed the target.

* * *

><p>"Oof!" Haytham yelped as he hit the ground below hard. The gun fell beside him and quickly transform back to its former self. The man, still in a daze, stared at the night sky and harshly pondered.<p>

_Bloody hell…what was that?!-_ his eyes suddenly widened and immediately rolled to the side, forgetting his gun and avoiding a foot from an unknown being. He quickly stood up, unsheathed his long sword and stared at the newcomer.

"What…?" what he saw however startled him. A man dressed in a long dark blue, trench coat, stood in front of him, his face was covered with a scarf, and his green eyes stared at him.

"An enem-"

"Aiden stop!" if the man wasn't shocked enough, he was completely shocked again when he saw an albino haired boy, with a shepherd's staff, land beside the man and continued pleading to him. Then a woman dressed in a white, flowery kimono landed softly on the ground and stood beside the boy.

_Enemies…beings like me…?_ Haytham lowered his sword, bewildered by the newcomers, but he quickly pointed it at the man who unsheathed a short, police baton-like weapon which releases a spark of grey.

"Stay where you're, unknown guardian!" Aiden taunted, his weapon emitted a spark again.

"Aiden stop it, let me handle this," Jack stood in front of him, blocking his target, and talked to the man.

"Hello there, sorry about that, we mean no harm,"

Haytham silently stared at him, unsure and calmly analyzing his action.

_Who're these people…?_

"I'm Jack Frost by the way, Lady Tsukiyomi over there…and Aiden H Pearce behind me,"

"There's no H in my- never mind…"

"We're all guardians just like you," Haytham silently gasped but he didn't show any reaction. _A guardian…?_ He thought and painfully recalled the events back at the graveyard where he begrudgingly cursed the moon and swear that he will destroy the Guardians-

"Guardians you say…?" Haytham answered in a menacing tone.

"Yeah, you and I, Man in Moon had chosen you to become one of us-" Haytham's eyes widened, a sudden burst of anger erupted but he only smiled and calmly answered.

"Really? Well I regret to inform you Jack," he glanced over his gun on the ground, far from him, and continued, "That all of you will die," then he raised his right hand and flicked his hidden blade which made a small clicking sound and ejected from its bracer.

Jack, who was startled by his answer, saw the incoming blade. _What the-_he side stepped and missed the blade, which hit the gun, by inch.

Haytham quickly moved his right hand, hoisting and pulling the gun towards him, and then with a blink of an eye, he quickly held it and pointed it to the stricken trio.

"Shit-!" Aiden quickly charged, his baton was ready, but then the older man pointed his gun at him and said.

"Death by Gas," a loud shot from a gun echoed and then the whole area was enveloped by a thick smoke.

* * *

><p>"Goddamn it!" Aiden coughed up as he pursued the man who was running away. Haytham quickly emerged from the smoke and ran towards the busy, crowded, street of the city.<p>

He jumped over cars, strode past a busy road and entered an alley of restaurants and shops. He glanced behind him and saw the Three Guardians, trailing him.

_They wouldn't give up hmm…_he thought as he raised his right hand, and ejected his right hidden blade again. The blade hit the wall of the building, a mechanism in his right bracer started spinning. The man quickly jumped and hoisted by his bracer upwards on to the roof of the building.

"Wah! Did he just fly?" Jack was shocked to what he saw but the woman beside him said.

"No, the thread of his blades are too thin, it's hard to see it," Tsuki quickly jumped to the roof and together with Jack and Aiden, they continued their pursuit.

"Tch, I'll show him a real gun." The detective grumbled and took out his 'the Dominator'.

**Activating combat mode, artillery type: Air Bullets** an integrated voice said as he aimed it at the guardian and fired.

"Wait Aiden you can't just fire at him!"

"Shut-up!"

Haytham glanced behind him and quickly drew out his long sword. While still running, he quickly jumped, spun in mid air, and moved his sword in a graceful curvature, slashing the bullets. He quickly landed and resumed his parkour running.

"Hmph, interesting gun by the way…" he said as he jumped at the edge of a building, ejecting his left hidden blade, and swung towards the next roof top.

* * *

><p>"He's so quick, despite his cape!" Jack shouted as Aiden also jumped and landed on the street hard.<p>

"I hate this night," he grumbled and ran again but then an idea hit him.

"Jack where's Bunnymund?"

"He was near at the museum of Vatican," Aiden stopped running and took out his phone, summoning a map of the city quickly, then he plot a direction and commanded his group.

"Let's continue to the Museum…the rendezvous with Bunnymund will be early than I expected," he said as the two looked at each other, clueless to what he said, before running again.

* * *

><p>Haytham's foot landed silently like a cat on the roof of a building. He sprinted again after he regained his bearings and darted towards the next building which was the Vatican Museum.<p>

"A short cut through it… will lead me to a train station…" he planned as he leap and sprint with all of his might to the next r

oof. His cape flutters as he suddenly stopped and looked down.

The Vatican Museum glowed in golden radiant light in his eyes. He quickly jumped down after he looked around, checking if his enemy was still in pursuit.

_On to the museum then…_he ran towards the entrance stealthily as he could however he failed to notice a small green orb that was peering above the archway of the museum, recording and watching him moved.

* * *

><p>Vatican Museum<p>

Inside the Museum, everything was silent. The golden chandelier above glowed in a dim light making it cast creepy shadows of the statues that were displayed inside.

Haytham strode heavily upwards the spiral staircase, a famous place in the museum, in a hurry, passing some famous artworks that he ignored.

He quickly turned to a sharp corner, looked around for enemies, and resumed his brisk walking.

"Exit is in the map room…" he murmured after he passed a statue of Hercules and turned around on a corner.

* * *

><p>The Gallery of Maps stood silently as the guardian walked in. Haytham looked around checking for a familiar signs of his enemies, he breathed in after seeing none and resumed his walking.<p>

"Got ya mate!" Haytham quickly unsheathed his sword from his right and blocked a boomerang that hurled towards him after breaking the large glass beside him. A spark of green and blue filled the whole gallery.

Haytham grunted after he slid away from the force and straightened himself after an unknown being entered through the broken window.

He was startled to see a six-footer rabbit who stared at him.

"Boy, you look so ancient, just like back from the n'pole," Bunny laughed, playing with his boomerang in his hand.

_Great mother of Jesus…more of them…_Haytham cursed clicked his tongue after he saw the familiar trio entered from the same entrance and stood beside the proud rabbit.

"There's nowhere to run," Aiden pointed his Dominator to the man but Jack protested.

"Aiden let us at least show him where not dange-"

"He is dangerous; did you see what he did to you? He almost killed you with his blade," an integrated voice suddenly came out from his gun indicating to the detective the status of his prey.

**Crime Coefficient: 555**

**Higher mode is forbidden**

**Enforcement Mode is Non-Lethal Paralyzer. Aim calmly and disable the target.**

_Interesting…_Haytham watched coolly as the albino guardian continued his argument with the detective.

"He's a Guardian,"

"No he's not and he'll never be," Jack frown at the detective and was about to lunged at him when the old man spoke.

"Indeed, I'll never become a Guardian," Jack and all of them turned to him as the man put both of his hand on his back.

"Because I never intend to be one," Haytham suddenly pointed both of his hand and ejected both of his blades at the two.

Aiden quickly dodged a blade while Jack blocked the other one using his staff.

"Oi, that's not proper greeting mate!" Bunny hopped, lunged and took out his boomerangs but the older man swung his left hand and blocked his attack.

"Speak for yourself," Haytham kicked the rabbit away and moved towards the winter sprite and tried connecting his sword at him. Jack dodged the sword, which was glowing in blue, and blocked it using his staff.

He grunted under his own weight as the mysterious guardian pushed him towards the wall, pinning him.

"This is your end," Jack looked down and saw the man's right hand, flicked and summoned his right blade. The man was about to thrust it to the boy but then he sensed an incoming attack and quickly blocked a samurai sword using his right hidden blade.

"What the devil-!"

"Jack, kick him now!" Jack kicked the man who let out a grunt and stood beside Lady Tsukiyomi who was holding a short katana.

Haytham stared at the two with hateful eyes when suddenly the windows behind him shattered.

"Here we are!" North, Tooth and Sandman, entered and landed, in a hurry, to the floor. The three were completely shocked after they saw the man.

"Ho ho! Interesting battle, is the guardian lively?" North said as he pointed his sword at the trio.

_Another three…really…_Haytham complained and cursed his night angrily but he silently stared at the new comer.

"We don't want any more trouble young man, you better put down your sword and talk to us," the old Guardian invitingly said to Haytham who responded with a plain face.

"How about…no," the man quickly raised his gun and fired to the floor, enveloping the gallery under a thick smoke.

"Tooth behind me now!" North said as he suddenly crossed both of his swords, blocking a sword from the man.

"Heh, pretty quick aren't you?"

"I am not," North pushed the man away and charged.

Haytham moved to the right then to the left, jerked backward, dodging and avoiding the sharp attacks, coming from the old guardian.

He quickly took a side-step to the left, avoiding the blade, and violently moved his left hand, his sword, at the Guardian's nape but was blocked by Jack's staff.

"No you don't!" Jack pushed the sword away and violently planted his right feet to the man's belly, pushing him away.

"That's twice boy!" Haytham then suddenly charged, his sword moved in a curve to the right, aiming to the winter sprites neck.

Jack felt the force as he blocked the sword with his staff again. He moved back and continued blocking all of the attack of the man but then he yelped in pain after the blade grazed his right shoulder.

"Ah!"

"That's one," Haytham wildly spun to the right and kicked the albino guardian to the wall, and then, with all of his strength, thrust his sword to the wall, grazing the boy's left shoulder.

"Now that's two-"

BANG* Haytham quickly moved away from the boy, avoiding a color sky blue bullet.

He looked to his left and saw the detective and his gun pointing at him.

**Unauthorized Enforcement Mode Changed: Enforcement Mode is Lethal Eliminator. Aim carefully and eliminate the Target.**

"With pleasure," Aiden fired another bullet but the man jumped to the right avoiding it.

Aiden then took out his sparking police baton and ran towards the man. The man in a quick movement blocked the sparking police baton using his right hidden blade and jumped back away from him.

"I've had enough!" Haytham shouted in anger, he raised his sword to the ceiling. _Guess I have no choice…_Everyone looked at him, in shock, as his sword glowed in bright blue again while he chanted.

"Death by Piercing," Haytham grip his sword tightly after the light crawled onto his left limb, then to his shoulder, eventually wrapping him in a strange blue radiating aura.

* * *

><p>"Time to show you all…how truly powerful I am," he said and right before anyone can move he quickly dashed towards the detective.<p>

Aiden, wide eyed from shock, tried to block it but he was too late. The man moved his sword upward, in a forceful motion, slashing diagonally the chest of the detective who let out a loud grunt.

Aiden was thrown upward, hitting the ceiling, before falling hard to floor. Jack looked at the guardian but then he hit Lady Tsukiyomi behind him after the man's sword slashed across his upper torso and pushed by the immense power. Both were pinned on the wall.

Haytham then looked to the remaining conscious Guardians, a menacing thin smile spread across his lips.

"You'll pay for that!" Bunny threw his boomerangs to the rampaging blue guardian. Haytham quickly jumped and spun in midair, avoiding the boomerang, and at the same time hold his pistol which he raised and fired to the rabbit.

Sandman, who saw the incoming bullet, quickly flew and formed a wall of sand enough to cover both of them and blocked the bullet but he silently cringed, the bullet was as strong as fast stampeding elephants. It pushed them both towards the opposite end of the hall.

"Bunny, Sandy!" Tooth shouted but then North suddenly pushed her away and blocked a sword of the blue Guardian.

"Keh…so this is your true power…?"

"No…this is just a part of it." Haytham then withdrew his sword, kicked North by his stomach and raised his right hand, aiming his pistol to his head.

"Stop now!" Tooth lunged herself and grabbed the man's right hand before he could completely pull the trigger. North let out a gasped as he felt the bullet grazed his left cheek and hit his head on the wall, putting him unconscious.

"You're so annoying!" Haytham hit Tooth's head by the hilt of sword and threw her towards the wall. Tooth's vision was then enveloped by darkness.

* * *

><p>"Huff…huff…" Haytham calmly breathe the cold air while he looked down to the unconscious guardians without remorse. His blue eyes then wandered after he heard a loud grunt behind him.<p>

He saw Jack Frost, moaning in pain, whose hands were stretched towards his staff which was lying a meter away from him. The man's eyes narrowed as he moved towards the struggling little boy.

"Just…furt-ah!" Jack screamed in pain as Haytham stepped on his right hand. He looked up and was horrified to see a barrel of a gun looming over his face.

"Well, well…looked at the mighty guardians…" the man mocked him.

"Jack Frost I'm sorry to tell you…all of you will die here tonight,"

"No…man in moon choose you-"

"Which I do not give a damn," Haytham thundered back, his pistol began to glow in red.

"My night is ruined because of you," he smiled and pressed the trigger of his pistol. Jack yelped in pain, his right leg began to bleed from the bullet hole.

"But don't worry…I had fun tonight…let me repay you for that," he released the boy's hand, walked over to the unconscious detective Aiden and picked up his 'the Dominator' gun.

Haytham stared at the gun with unmoved, appraisal, eyes. He looked over to the winter sprite before he moved closer and pointed its nozzle to him.

**Warning, unauthorized user-autho-ri—ri-zed u-u-u-ser-detec-**

The gun's integrated voice cringed as his aura enveloped it, changing its color to deep, velvet blue, emitting spark in the process, and proceeded to indicate,

**Au—au-thenticating new user: Hay-tham K—Ke-Ke-Kenway**

**Authen—ti—ti-cation com-plete**

**Enforcement Mode is Destroy Decomposer. Target will be completely annihilated. Please be careful…Master Kenway**

Jack's eyes were wide. The gun of Aiden Pearce, the one that was solely intended for him, was now changing to something deadlier. The upper portion of the gun opened, slide, and protrude a new barrel, the lower portion opened wide, emitting a bright spark of blue in the process.

"Any last words…Frost?" he asked as the frightened Guardian stared at him with terrified eyes.

"Wa—wait…please…"

"A poor choice."

The gun began to glow in blue as Haytham aimed to the guardians head.

"Goodbye Frost…" Jack raised his left hand, attempting to block the gun's power even though it was no use, "and may the father of understanding…guide you to the abyss…" Haytham smiled and just as he was about to pull the trigger…he felt a sharp pain in his neck.

* * *

><p>"Ah!" Haytham let go of 'the Dominator' after he felt a sharp prickling pain in his neck. The gun fell to the floor and stopped emitting blue sparks and changed back to its original mode.<p>

His right hand clutched his neck and felt a warm liquid rushing through. The man slowly withdrew and looked at his hand and he was horrified. Blood, his whole hand was soaked with blood.

"How-how…" he slowly turned around and saw another being that answered his question.

"Ohohohoho-! My death scythe ached more than my love scope, oh!" Haytham 'wide eyed and terrified, stared at the being with red hair, wearing a red vest and white shirt and brown pants, smiling at him.

"However…my death scythe can be called…love stick! Ohoho, I purged my love stick in you cutie pie!" Grell winked at the blood soaked Haytham who moved his left leg back, for support, the surprise attack weakened him.

"Now, now Hay-chan…I want to see you…dye in red," Haytham tried to move but he was dumbfounded after he heard a whirring, loud sound. He saw the being raised both of his hand and revealed a blood soaked chainsaw.

_That's…his…scythe…_his eyes were stricken by terror, his legs didn't move in fear. _Mus…mo-_

"Here I go!" Grell Sutcliff with a happy smile on his face plunged and thrust his chainsaw at man's chest, spraying blood all over the walls in the process. Haytham screamed loudly in pain, he felt the chainsaw grinding and gnashing his rib cage, cutting some important nerves…and finally severing what-seem-to-be his heart.

_No…I'm going…to die…_his mind panicked as he hit the floor hard.

"Oh how beautiful…" Grell squirmed in delight as liters of liters of blood sprayed from the opened chest of Haytham Kenway.

"Haytham you're truly beautiful…" Grell said and stared at the dying man's blue eyes, his face was completely aghast. The man felt heavy as the darkness began to envelop him.

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><p>Woo-Hoo! Finally updated, specials thanks to Himawari-no-Ichizoku and Silversunnyd for beta-reading, leave some reviews please :)<p> 


	6. Canto V : Caged Guardian

Canto V

_Do not be afraid; our fate_

_Cannot be taken from us; it is a gift._

_-Dante Alighieri- _

* * *

><p>"Don't move!" Aiden quickly commanded to the Grim Reappear who made a mocking glanced and smiled at him. The detective quickly, grunting as he stood up, clutched his injured chest and walked towards the bleeding guardian.<p>

Jack was horrified after he saw what happened to the man. He quickly moved to him as fast he could with his injured right leg. He grunted in pain after he looked at the man's eyes with a worrying look.

"What have you done Grell?!"

"Well I stabbed him with my scythe-"

"I'm warning you that any decision, movement, or words that you say will be used against you and considered as obstruction of justice!" The detective thundered at him as he approached the man.

"Tooth, Tsuki, help me here, he's bleeding!" Haytham stared at the winter sprite, his blue eyes were beginning to lose its shine and were also bleeding. He tried to mumble but he felt a surging pain from his neck causing him to vomit blood, splattering some at the winter Guardian's face.

"He's bleeding internally, we must apply operation or first aid or whatever," Tooth flew and buzzed around hurriedly, looking for a familiar first aid box inside the hall. Tsuki, after she immediately saw the chest wound, calmly raised her right hand and ripped off her kimono's right sleeve. She quickly folded it and tucked it in the wound.

"This will stop the bleeding but we must get him to an infirmary. North's workshop might do-"

"No, the Court of Heaven is a better place," Jack turned around and was startled to see Aiden, pointing his Dominator gun at the injured man.

**Target's Psycho-Pass Updated:**

**Crime Coefficient: 189**

**Enforcement Method is Non-Lethal Paralyzer. Please aim calmly and disable the target.**

The integrated voice said plainly to Aiden who looked down at him with sharp, unmerciful predatory eyes, which angered the winter sprite.

"Look Aiden. He's injured and he needs proper medical attention."

"The Court of Heaven has a good medical bay…he'll be treated inside a cell."

Jack grumbled and Bunny butted in and complained, "Boy, he needs to be in bed, not in jail."

"He's a latent criminal, he deserves to be in a cell," Aiden said with an authoritarian tone. Jack frowned at him, anger starting to rise in his head and planned to hit the man with his staff but he only shouted.

"North, take out the globe. We'll transport the man to the North Pole,"

"And what makes you think that you've got the rights to do that?"

"Because I want to." Aiden glared his green eyes to the unmoved rebellious blue eyes of the winter guardian. He glanced at his gun in his right hand and then grumbled. Suddenly he raised it and pointed it to Bunnymund and North who were attempting to move the man.

"Stop right there! Any more attempt to move him will be considered as Federal Offense to the Inquisitor of Heresy." The two stared at him and his gun, which blinked in a sky blue light.

"Will you please stop it?! You're the first one who broke the law Aiden!" The man glanced at the Tooth fairy, whose face was red and clouded in anger, and asked her.

"Me? What's your proof on that?"

"Dlanor instructed you not to use any 'higher mode' of your gun!" Aiden stared at her and asked again mechanically.

"And?"

"I heard your gun earlier and it changed to something it wasn't supposed to. You'll certainly be subjected for questioning and I will testify against you." She threatened the detective whose eyes were plain. Aiden stared and thought over it. He recalled Cornelia and Gertrude warning him about his gun and his 'method of capture'. He clicked his tongue and reasoned.

"Yes…but I can say to her that I have enough reason-"

"Yeah sure go ahead, tell her that…I think she hasn't heard a good statement filled with _lies for a long time_ anyway," Jack smiled triumphantly as the detective scowled at them. Aiden calmly processed every word that they said. He clicked his tongue in displeasure and gripped the gun tightly.

What he did earlier was completely questionable by the Court of Heaven. A conclusion formed in his mind which made him even more aggravated. His 'reasons' weren't clear enough since it wasn't a life and death situation. He could certainly tackle him if he wakes up.

"What now detective?" The rabbit asked him with a smile on his face, cutting his thoughts short. The man looked at the injured guardian and said,

"Fine…the North Pole it is," he put his Dominator back to his holster and added, "but he will be under a strict surveillance by me…do you all understand?" the guardians nodded, agreeing to what he said.

"Then let's go,"

* * *

><p><em>Darkness…again…<em>I thought plainly and looked around the vast empty, black, vacuum space that seemed to stretch for eternity. I tried to move but I couldn't. Just like before.

I was somehow as still as a log and as unmoving as a rock while I floated throughout the darkness.

"The void…" I murmured and only closed my eyes after I felt a warm liquid began to sip in my chest.

* * *

><p>North Pole, North's workshop, Infirmary<p>

Jack watched in awe at the water that was hovering and moving on the man's wound, curing it in the process. Lady Tsukiyomi silently moved her hand around the water, manipulatively and magically cleaning the wound of the man who was lying on the bed, sleeping soundly.

"His hand just twitched."

"He's hurt badly," Tsuki said as the water stopped and the woman took it and put it in the wash bin beside her. She sighed and removed the surgical mask from her face.

"Well that's it for now. Where's North and everybody else?"

Jack looked behind and saw that their companions were not there anymore. He quickly shrugged and unknowingly guessed.

"Maybe at North's study…anyway I better call Aiden, he'll be angry if there's only one person guarding his prisoner." The winter sprite pouted and strode outside the room.

* * *

><p>Aiden struggled to sit on a small chair and watched North on the table inspecting the man's weapon and gadgetry. Grell yawned and took a cookie from a passing elf and chewed loudly and lazily, disturbing the silent atmosphere and making the other occupants move away from him.<p>

"This pair of bracers…" North raised two bracers in the light and examined the symbols in it. One possessed an upside down V and other one had a large cross, both sigils didn't post a clue about the man's identity. He put it down and examined the next one, the long sword and the pistol.

"This…well…its looks like a court sword or cutlass…" North then read the words that were embedded on the blade with eagerness and interest. "May the father of understanding guide us, huh…" his eyes landed on the pistol after reading the words and examined it thoroughly.

"What is he, a priest?" Bunny asked after he picked up the elegant pistol and also observed it, "Anyway, he's one dangerous man. He almost killed us all," he added as the Old Guardian then observed the book from the table.

"The biggest mystery of all however is this book," He picked up the book, opened the pages and was startled. The whole and the next succeeding ones were all names of people. Names after names he simmered each one.

"These are names,"

"Of people who were bound to the afterlife." Grell butted in as he opened his right hand to North, telling him to give it to him. The grim reaper quickly flipped all of the pages, and as he looked, his eyes began to shine and widen.

"Oh my…oh my…this is very interesting! Finally my mission here is over!" he said crazily as he groveled over it.

The guardians looked at him, confused and startled to his reaction, and asked.

"What exactly is your mission Grell?"

"Me? Oh 'Will-sama', my superior, has ordered me to observe this Blue guardian that the moon showed to us because right after he showed up, there were countless irregular deaths that occurred and recorded all over the world and the death society was alarmed by it," He finished and smiled over at an elf who hurriedly ran off in fright.

"Aren't you a grim reaper? Isn't your job is to ferry the souls of the dead? Those things should be clear to you."

"That's the problem, dear Aiden," he fixed his glasses and moved closer to him. "The souls didn't 'pass on', they 'disappeared without a trace'," he smiled and immediately strode outside the room yelling, "Finally a nice cup of tea awaits for me in Death Society!" before prancing down the stairs and exiting North's workshop, right after he banged the door closed.

The guardians looked at each other, oblivious and somehow relieved, to the actions of the weird grim reaper.

"Good thing the queer man is gone."

"Hey guys what did I miss?" Jack entered but then he pouted after he made eye contact with Aiden who ignored him and passed by him.

"Hmph, he better not torture him…So what did I miss?"

"Oh nothing Jack…good thing Grell went away, we were about to discuss what will be our response to the man, if he wakes up." North said as the five of them sat down and began their meeting.

* * *

><p>"Guh…" Haytham groaned as he heavily opened his eyes. The brown ceiling above greeted him silently as he stared at it. He was still in a daze while he questioned the place after he caught a familiar scent of medical Alcohol.<p>

"Where…am I…?" he blinked twice, however when he heard a soft rustle beside him, he looked to his side and saw a woman wearing a pure white kimono, standing in front of a table.

The woman turned and smiled to the unwary man. _Black hair…? _He thought as the guardian bowed to him and said.

"Good morning! Now don't move yet, your wounds are not fully closed," she turned her back at him again as the man slowly sat straight up. Haytham's eyes stared at her back as he began to recall the events last night.

_As far as I know, I was cornered inside the Vatican Museum…I almost defeated all of them, but I was stab by-_his eyes suddenly widened after he finished his recollection. _They're the enemy _he concluded predatorily, his eyes narrowed to the table beside him where a sharp surgical knife was lying.

He silently took it and stood up. He stealthily walked towards her, footsteps as silent as a cat and his right hand wrapped tightly around the surgical knife.

The woman, who was busily fixing a bandage, glanced at the water basin beside her. She saw him and, with a quick calm action, immediately turned around. She grabbed the man by his right arm, just as he was about to thrust the knife into her back, and pulled his arm towards his back.

Haytham fought back and tried to knock her out. To his surprise, the woman wrapped her left hand on his waist, bent backwards, pulled him upwards, and slammed him down to the floor, finishing a German suplex technique.

"Ah!"

"You shouldn't have done that," Tsuki said as her left arm tightened around the man's waist.

"And you shouldn't have turned your back to me woman," Haytham said but then the door opened and both of them were startled to see Aiden enter and plainly say,

"Looking lively prisoner," he quickly closed the door, took out his gun and pointed it at the man who stood up after the woman released him.

**Target's Psycho-Pass updated:**

**Crime Coefficient: 10**

**Target not legible for enforcement, trigger is locking. **The gun's integrated voice said, making the Detective smugly smile, and sat down on a chair.

Haytham stared at Aiden with dark, hateful eyes as the detective crossed his legs and comfortably looked at him.

"Well well, I never thought I would be caught like this," The man sat down on the bed and sighed, "I guess I underestimated you, and them. So, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"

"I'm here to arrest you. You've caused too much trouble to the world." Haytham's eyebrow twitched. He almost smiled at the man's statement.

He was about to speak when the door of the infirmary opened and he was greeted by the familiar albino guardian who flew towards the ceiling above him with a smile spread on his face.

"Good morning old man, you've been snoring forever since we brought you here. I thought you were dead." Haytham's right eyebrow twitched again, offended at being called 'old man' by a bratty, idiot, little boy.

"I see. Hmm…" North, Bunny and the rest also entered and all were smiling at him and welcoming him like he was already a part of them.

"Hello their young man, are you all right? We're very sorry for what Grell did to you," the old guardian said as Haytham only stared at him with plain blue eyes. He sighed and replied mechanically to him.

"Whatever he did to me it's completely unforgivable," He ran his left hand over his shoulder-length black hair and added, "And if you're planning on recruiting me as one of your members…then you're absolutely wrong." The guardians were silent. They both looked at each other, startled from the man's response, and thought what they would say to him.

"What's your name lad?"

"…Haytham Kenway," Haytham replied without looking. He stared at the frosty window and the white tundra outside.

_Snow, _he thought as the Guardians continued their welcoming remarks.

"Well Haytham, you can leave and do whatever you like but as of now, the whole world needs your help," North said in an authoritarian like to the man who ignored him. He then grunted and added, "Not to mention Man in Moon chose you to become a Guardian!"

Haytham frowned and was about to shout at them however the old Guardian added, "Get dressed, your Lordship, and we'll meet you at the globe room," the guardians immediately went out of the room cheerfully, leaving the man with a disorganized look.

_Are they aware that I can escape right now, or kill them all? _The man thought with assurance but then his thoughts disappeared when he saw himself in the mirror. He clicked his tongue, displeasured and disappointed, while staring at the scar on his chest.

"Hah…" then against all odds he stood up and took his white shirt on the dresser.

Haytham, even though he felt he was dragging himself, walked outside the room without his cloak and cape. He tried to ignore the Yetis, which he didn't let out a gasp of surprise after seeing them, who rumbled under their own language.

* * *

><p><em>Yetis…? If this is Santa's workshop where are the-<em>He quickly stopped and saw a group of mini-elves, dancing, prancing, and messing around Christmas lights. "Oh…fascinating," he said sarcastically and proceeded.

He entered the globe room and was greeted by the smiling faces of the Guardians who he ignored again.

"All right, now where were we earlier?"

"Oh right about... " North smiled and stood in front of a podium where a large book was opened. Haytham watched with plain eyes as the old man cleared his throat.

"Now then, Haytham Kenway, you're now Guardian!"

"Wha-?" The man exclaimed, startled at what the guardian said, but then the whole room was suddenly filled with music. Blaring trumpets, banging cymbals immediately filled the room as the blue Guardian darted his eyes everywhere, disoriented to what was happening.

_What does he think I am? 5 years old-_he suddenly moved back, avoiding a group of Tooth fairies buzzing towards his head with a gold flower crown.

He looked around and saw the Guardians, other than Aiden the detective, smiling at him and seemed to be welcoming him to their group. He began rumbling in his mind and tried to understand his situation.

_Man In Moon chose me to be a Guardian…To be one of them?_ He glanced towards the ceiling and saw the moon in the day-light sky.

_What is this? what is he planning this time?_ He thought cautiously and eventually recalled the events when he was revived.

_He revived me, without a purpose, without goals or a noble cause. I am just like a pawn that was thrown in a game that I do not know how to play, _his eyebrows furrowed, his lips perched up.

_And now he wants me to join this foolish charade, _and then with a clench of his fist and a final thought in his mind, _To hell with this nonsense!_

He raised his left hand, stared at the guardians and with a tremendous force, he swung it to the air. The harsh wind blew towards the Guardians, scattering thousands of paper and dismantling some toys lying around.

He quickly straightened his pace and looked with angry eyes to the disoriented Guardians.

"And what kind of heavenly authority does the Man in Moon possess that he can decide my fate?!" He thundered at them and the Old North answered,

"Well, he just chose you-"

"Oh so he just chose me, a dead man who is lying in the ground peacefully, hoping to wake up in hell or heaven?" Haytham said with sarcasm and added arrogantly, "To hell with this! I am not going to be a guardian and I certainly never will be!" His face formed a scowl as the winter sprite flew and landed beside him.

"Don't hate the moon Haytham, don't hate us-"

"Didn't I declare to you that I'm going to kill Man in Moon and all of you?" He glared at Jack Frost who was unmoving and considered his threat empty.

"Why do you hate us so much mate?" Bunny, already annoyed at his powerful force, asked.

"Because you follow the moon blindly and without a cause," Haytham answered and added, "If this Man in Moon is so good, then he should've talked to one of you, verbally, and say why he had done it or what we should do!" He turned his back to the Guardians and glanced at the moon with angry eyes. "Not leave me in the dark…" Jack stared at him with sadness, his tone becoming heavy.

Everyone stared at him and understood what he meant. They looked at each other, unable to comply to his statement, before Aiden moved forward.

"All right enough with the drama, he's going to the Court of Heav-"

"Aiden not now," North over took his path and looked at him. "Boy, don't make me testify against you," The detective stared at him with plain eyes. He licked his tongue and mentally withdrew his arrest on the man.

"Haytham,"

"What?"

North smiled at him and asked, "Mind if we take a walk for a moment, just a short one?"

* * *

><p>The lift came to a halt and the two occupants strode out. Haytham silently followed the Old North, despite his silent protest, as they both strode to the workshop's main floor.<p>

He saw more Yetis, engrossed in their toy building, painting drawings, candy making and cookie baking, and even book binding jobs. He judged them swiftly and bitterly without taking a glance to North.

"You know, I'm impressed on how calm you are."

"What?"

"Most of the Guardians that I invite here were all shocked to see the Yetis were the ones working on toys, not the elves."

Haytham sighed as he passed a couple of elves, messing and coloring themselves with food coloring around a candy dyeing machine. The Old Guardian opened a door and they both went inside.

Inside North's study room the man silently sat down on a chair and observed the book shelves beside him. Toys, books, and even an artifact lined up neatly in a row, a sign that the Old Guardian was a tidy clean freak, despite his untidy appearance.

"Tea? Cupcakes?" North asked.

"No Thanks," He sat down on a chair with his eyes closed, thinking what he will say to Old Guardian who invited him to talk inside a room alone. He was very annoyed to the fact that the Guardian wasn't even scared at him at all-

"Now that I got you completely defenseless Haytham, let's get down to tacks and fist, shall we?"

"What-" The door banged closed behind him, making him look in that direction, failing to see the Old Guardian moving towards him. He quickly stood up after he saw his action. The man darted his eyes everywhere, looking for a weapon, but the Old Guardian suddenly grabbed him by his shoulder and asked him,

"Who're you really, Haytham Kenway?"

* * *

><p>Woo-hoo! Finally updated! Special thanks to my new beta-readers: NewAnimeLover7951 and Invisibleamericanburgers! You guys were great!<p> 


	7. Canto VI : Court of Heaven is down

Canto VI

"I did not die, and yet I lost life's breath"

-Dante Alighieri-

The Divine Comedy

* * *

><p>The Gates of the Court of Heaven stood proudly against the early morning sky. The metal rings that formed the shapes of the gate shone brightly in gold as the early sun's rays poured out from the clouds.<p>

In the ground right behind the tall gates, standing erect in a rectangular body, are 10 security drones. The drone's heads, with three dotted blinking lights in the middle, were reacting to the wind that brushed their metallic skins, activating sensors. Some of them moved their two wheels that made them stand firmly after they detected a movement above the sky.

Suddenly all of their heads turned, their three dotted lights blinked again and focused on whatever they detected on the other side of the gate.

Outside the gate, a figure materialized out of the wind and cast a shadow on the ground. His cape fluttered as the wind passed through him and his face was covered with a mask with two colors: red on the right and black on the left. A drone in the middle whirled and moved closer to the gate. Its integrated speaker crackled before a computer voice warned the figure,

"**Halt any beings that stood before the gate will be punished and persecuted, unless they have an appointment."**The figure didn't move which made the drone produce a sky blue light from its head and scan the being.

**Psycho-Pass recording:**

**Crime Coefficient: -unknown-**

**Target not legible for enforcement, trigger will be locking-**

The drone suddenly short circuited and shut down indefinitely after a what-seemed-to-be black spear that formed from the man's shadow come out and impale the head, destroying it in the process.

The man's shadow began to wiggle, multiply, and move. The slithery black liquid crawled inside the gate and onto the drones that were standing still. The shadow eventually reached the drones, pooling around their bases, when several spear-like things jutted upwards, impaling them all.

* * *

><p>(1 hour before)<p>

Haytham stared at the Old Guardian's large blue eyes, thinking and pondering how he will answer to him. The question startled him but he quickly answered and shrugged it off.

"I don't know..." he took a step back and continued, "When I woke up from that graveyard I couldn't remember my name let alone my past memories." He scoffed and then made a thin smile.

"And that's why I'm angry. I was alone and clueless but one thing is for sure and that is I am dead." He sat down and looked out the window beside him. The white, cold, desert of North Pole greeted his eyes and made his head calm down from anger.

"I'm supposed to go to the afterlife, not stuck here. It's a disgrace to become an earthbound spirit." North grumbled while he stared at the man with keen interest. He ran his right hand through his white beard, stroking it while he pondered.

"Even if you're bound for hell?"

"Even if I'm bound for Satan, yes, I should pass on. Everyone should pass on, that's how life should work." Haytham said warily without being disturbed to what he said. The Old North thought and formed a conclusion about the man, he was scorned and somehow…lonely and in distraught. He examined him, forming many ideas that can make the man, a little bit more sociable with him. And then an idea struck him.

He looked at the cupboard where a babushka doll stood. He quickly took it, smiling at it since he created it shortly after the man arrived. He spoke to him gently.

"Haytham, this is what you think about yourself, am I correct?" he showed the doll to the man who bleakly took it and observed it. Haytham stared at the babushka doll with a repulsed look. The doll was painted according to his features and the first one, the outside doll, has a still face just like him.

"I am downright…serious. Why thank you No-"

"No no, it's not yet finished, open it." The man sighed and decided to open it to the next small doll, inside.

"I am…calm." The next doll showed his face in relaxed state.

"Ok next,"

"I am…smart…rational…collective…charismatic…reasonable…brutal?" he stopped and stared at small babushka which showed his face, plastering a menacing smile. "Great…and leader-like," he continued even though he was already annoyed by it but then he stopped again after he opened and looked at the final, smallest, babushka doll. He stared at the small toy and said.

"Its…not painted," he showed the blank, colorless, toy to North who only made an empathetic smile.

"Yes it's not painted Haytham," the old Guardian chuckled, his face shining brightly, "Because we don't know you…and you don't know yourself yet." The man blinked and sighed after he realized what the Old Guardian was trying to do to him.

"Oh now I know where this is going. You're using reverse psychology on me to join-"

"Nope but now that the moon revived you, don't you want to know who you really are Haytham?" North paused after he picked up a paper, began folding it and forming in into something, and continued, "Don't you want to discover your past and perhaps your 'center'?"

Haytham stopped in his tracks. The question of the Guardian hit him somewhere which made his mind begin to curiously ponder.

_I don't know myself and I don't have a clue to my past,_ he looked at North who was still busy with the paper, thinking and rationally formulating choices. _Who am I and why I was resurrected? There's more to this than meets the eye-_

"I just don't get it," he sighed after he saw North pouring an unknown clear liquid on a mug. His thoughts rumbled for a moment after he created some choices on: choosing what he will do, what he will say, and what its effect will do to him. He based his judgment on his memories from the past when he was revived and roamed the earth and then to the deeds that he had done many years ago, which was all about the disasters that he had started.

"Fine I'll join your cause," North was completely overjoyed to what the man said, he was planning to shout joyfully but he kept his excitement to himself.

"However," Haytham suddenly thundered, his eyes became serious, and dictated. "Under three conditions: Condition One: 'I will not tolerate tomfoolery in this group. If my patience runs out, I will kill you'. Condition Two: 'I don't want to be commanded; I'll make my own choices. Condition Three: 'In case that both conditions are violated or that my memory has failed to come back even if we killed the enemy or not, I will kill you all'." Haytham moved closer to North, looking at the mug that he was holding before he swiftly snatched it from his hand and continued.

"Is that clear?" The Old Guardian only nodded before the man added. "By the way, it's an abomination to drink tea from mugs." He put the rim of the mug in his lips before he tilted his head and bottomed up its liquid contents.

He put down the mug on the table and then let out short cough.

"Um…Haytham," North took the mug and added, "That isn't actually tea-",

"I know-*cough*-It's pure, clear, Vodka. My God and you're a Guardian of Wonders, you're a child's figure. You drink-*cough*!" Haytham coughed and wobbled after feeling the full effect of the vodka in his system. The alcohol was very strong for him.

"Well, nothing beats vodka but pure good friendship—"

"_Alliance_ old man, I have no plans to make relationships-*Cough!*-with you," Haytham breathed in, his face completely red from the liquor and its effects to him.

North happily stared at the man. He was about to speak when a loud knock interrupted their conversation. The door to North's study opened and Aiden came in. He looked at Haytham with plain eyes before he spoke.

"Mr. North I have to go, there's trouble at the Court of Heaven," he dictated as he walked towards the old Guardian. North was startled to what he said, grumbling for a moment, and then cast his blue eyes at Haytham.

"Well then Haytham, should we go now?"

"There's no 'we'-"

"He will go because he's my prisoner." Aiden dictated and, without looking at the Guardian who cast a dark glare at him, walked outside of the room. The Old Guardian happily smiled again at Haytham and pointed at the door before he too walked out.

"Oh, this is just great." The Guardian said as he eventually walked outside.

* * *

><p>Court of Heaven, Cell Block no 13.<p>

Pitch, with his eyes closed, cast his right hand into the air and released small, grainy, black sand. The black matter began to swirl as the Guardian began to concentrate and imagine its movement. The silence of his windowless cell provides him more ample time for such skill.

Suddenly his concentration was disrupted after he heard a sharp explosion right outside his door.

"Hah police these days, they don't know privacy do they-" he paused after the door made a loud thud, beginning to crumple like it was paper, and eventually broke down from its hinges, showing him the outside empty hall.

Pitch shielded his squinting eyes with his right hand. He struggled to looked outside but was startled after the light outside was partially blocked by a being clothed in a very dark robe with a hood.

The mask shone brightly against the Boogeyman's face. The Nightmare King slowly stood up and asked the mysterious being uneasily, "Who're you?"

The man's bi-color mask moved. "Freedom," it uttered a single word to the Nightmare King who smiled menacingly after he realized that the being had freed him from this hellish confinement cell.

"Well then let's go-"

"There's one more…" Pitch clicked his tongue, dismayed. He quickly walked pass the masked man and into the hallway. He turned around and asked rudely.

"All right, who's next?"

The man's robe fluttered after he moved and leaned on him and whispered, "The Monkey King."

* * *

><p>Court of Heaven<p>

High above the mountains of Nepal, near the top of the world' tallest mountain, a magical portal appeared. North's sleigh magically flew past before the exit of the portal disappeared. He whipped his reindeer forcefully to gain speed against the bitter, cold wind of the mountains.

"I have to say North, you have very interesting mode of transportation, reindeers…" Haytham stood beside him, his austerely eyes looking straight ahead at the super structure that stood on a cloud, floating magnificently near the top of Mount Everest. _So that's Court of Heaven huh…it does look like it's in heaven_ the man thought with silent appraisal.

"Oi, Matey British lad, can you sit down, you might rock the sleigh." Haytham didn't move, his hands were both locked behind him, which made the rabbit behind him frown in discomfort.

"Oi mate-!"

"Oh, me?" After clicking his tongue in dismay, he gave in. He glanced over his shoulder to the Guardian of Hope.

"Yeah, we can't see the view from' ere'!"

"Then look at my cape, I am much more of a better view." Haytham said and mentally smiled after he heard a short, satisfying grunt of annoyance coming from the Rabbit, he teased him successfully.

"Hey Haytham!" the man silently turned and looked at Jack who was wearing a smile.

"We, Guardians, didn't introduce ourselves properly. This one's Toothfairy,"

"Hi, Sir Haytham," The Toothfairy waved her right hand gleefully to the unmoved eyes of the blue Guardian.

"Then this is Sandy, the Good dream guardian, Tsukiyomi, the Guardian of the Moon, she's good at healing and I think you already know Bunnymund the Guardian of Hope,"

"Heh, whatever tea drinker," Bunny rolled his eyes and looked away from the British man who simply and silently made a mocking glance at him.

"Interesting," Haytham merely replied and looked forward again, leaving the snow spirit bewildered to his response.

"Guys we're going to land." North whipped his reindeer again and quickly descended towards the gates of the Court.

* * *

><p>Aiden quickly jumped off the sleigh, grunting, and ran towards the ruined gate. It's beautiful, wielded metal frame work was now bended, buckled, and broken from its hinges. The Guardians quickly followed him except for Haytham who stood first and looked around with curiosity before he eventually followed them.<p>

"Shit, the drones are down," Aiden cursed and looked at the Guardians behind him. "Everyone follow me. Hey Bunny keep an eye on my P-1 ok." Bunny, confused to what the Detective said, tried to ask but the man had already ran towards the entrance.

"What's P-1-oh boy," he sighed in disappointment after he guessed what the term means.

"Oi, Haytham-"

"Let's go." Haytham quickly walked away from him, leaving the rabbit completely aggravated to his attitude.

"Whoa…" Jack who followed behind him looked around in amazement. Despite its name, the Court of Heaven looked like the Palace of Versailles in France. The sky above them was very close and almost reachable if he hovered and flew for a minute. He couldn't believe that this peaceful palace-like court was also a home for the notorious Guardians who had gone rogue against Man in Moon.

"This looks like a palace of Versailles,"

"Right before French revolution stormed in." Haytham commented, uninterestingly, as the trio quickly ran towards the entrance.

* * *

><p><strong>Wing E<strong>

The Wing E of the Court of Heaven was churned up in smoke. Hundreds and hundreds of rows of closed cell block doors glowed in calm blue-green light, indicating that it was close. The sound system above was blaring a loud annoying alarm and made the occupants of the cells exclaim or angrily bang their fists on their doors. This chaos started after one of the prisoners had escaped.

**Enforcement Mode is Lethal Eliminator. Aim carefully and eliminate the target.**

Cornelia bleakly grunted and fired at a horse with glowing amber eyes made from black sand, a familiar of the rogue guardian Pitch Black. She quickly aimed her Dominator to another horse and fired.

Gertrude then came running, stopped beside her partner, and aimed her gun at a black horse that was galloping towards her. Her gun glowed, changed and transformed into Lethal Eliminator mode, and fired a sky blue light and hit the horse.

"Too many of them,"

"Agreed,"

"Keep them busy," Dlanor came and stood between her subordinates. Her eyes are still dull and plain. Then after she scanned the horde of nightmare creatures in front and came in contact with Pitch, who was standing with a mysterious hooded person whom she recognized as the new enemy standing in front of a door leading to a connecting passage, she raised her golden left limb.

Her prosthetic hand moved and went inside the metal frame, reshaping the limb into a large golden barrel that began to glow in gold.

**Crime Coefficient: 408, Target legible for enforcement method. Please Fire at will.**

_With pleasure_ and then she fired a single orb of golden light. The orb ran through the nightmare King's familiars towards the target, Pitch Black.

"Come on! Open up!" Pitch grunted, his black sands entered the numeric pads on the door, attempting to open it. The dark being beside him quickly moved and stood behind him, his mask looked straight towards the Guardian of Truth and the oncoming orb.

Dlanor watched and then moved her eyes, a sign of silent shock, as the being took the orb by his chest and absorbed it easily by his black cloak.

_What on earth _Dlanor dully exclaimed. Her subordinates, after they saw what happened and were startled, pointed their Dominators and were surprised by the result.

**Crime Coefficient: Error, being is unknown, trigger will be locking.**

"Allow me to speak, the target isn't readable,"

"Allow me to speak, may we suggest to activate contingency method,"

Dlanor stared at the being greyly but with alertness and caution. "Very well do it-"

"Got it!" the door in front of Pitch opened wide and the Nightmare King grabbed the being by his cloak and dragged him towards the next wing. Dlanor was about to move but she pointed her left limb cannon to the door behind her after it burst open.

"Dlanor, we're here." Aiden and the Guardian company went in and stopped in front of them.

"Ah, you're late." Dlanor's eyes scanned the group and landed at the guardian clothed in blue cloak and possessed a weird hat on his head. She spoke dully.

"Is this the guardian who can defeat the enemy?"

"Yes,"

"You're very slow Aiden. Pitch and the mysterious enemy opened the door to Wing F. Comprehend them before they release any prisoners." Haytham eyed the woman with discreet observing eyes. He silently criticized her for her height and lazy act of commanding-

"Stop judging me Haytham Kenway or I might file a case against you on Irrational Action against Authorized Officers and Personnel," The man rose his right brow in skepticism and spoke.

"Looks like I don't have to introduce myself then,"

"Now all of you go. We'll take this horde of horses in front." The Guardian looked to the other end of the hallway, passed through a horde of horses, towards the opened doorway. They all looked at each other and charged towards the door, kicking and pushing horses away.

* * *

><p><strong>Wing F<strong>

Pitch ran silently across the floor of the new wing that he entered together with his companion. He took a mouthful of breaths, tired and somehow nervous from the earlier encounter with the Inquisitors.

He frowned however when he sensed his companion behind him and turned around.

"So, whose next?"

"Monkey King." The figure austerely responded and then walked away from the irritated guardian and stood in front of a confinement cell. His eyes, hidden beneath the bi-color opera-like mask, looked to the solid surface and at the holo-label, blinking at the side.

Pitch watched and then stopped his thoughts after he saw the shadow of the man on the floor, wiggling and wobbling and crawling upwards to the door and its hinges.

The black matter continued its ascending crawling, discreetly, at the door until the whole thing was covered. Then, without the being moving a single muscle, the door made a resounding buckling thud and fell to the floor.

The darkness of the cell greeted the man and his mask. Pitch clicked his tongue again and moved beside him and peered to the seemingly empty cell until he heard a cough from the inside.

"Aw great, what is it that you want?" An annoyed, rough voice of a humanoid being barked at the two of them. The Nightmare King was about to respond but he stop when the occupant took a step towards them and let the light outside the cell shine upon him.

The Monkey King, with his hands crossed against his muscled toned bare, hairy chest, stared at them with his orange eyes. The Nightmare King didn't respond, baffled to the being's appearance.

"Oi, fell in love with me sweet heart?"

"What-? No! Get out of there now, we're busting out." The sentence of the Boogeyman made the Monkey King's pale lips form into an exciting smile. His right hand ran on his brown hair and then fixed the eye patch that was covering his left eye.

"Well, shall we go-"

"There's one more." The shadow man transparently said which made the Boogeyman casts his amber eyes at him, irritably, but before he could scowl at him, the man moved to the next door on the right side of the Monkey King who made a doubting remark.

"Oi, you can't be serious. Him too?" He put his hands in the pocket of his prisoner's dark-violet pants, the only clothing that he was wearing.

"Why, who's in there?"

The Monkey King looked at him and said. "It's the-" his sentence was cut short when the door made a loud thud and buckled from its doorframe. The shadow man, together with the two other escaping prisoners, peered to the darkness of the cell.

Silence greeted them at first but then the Boogeyman's eyes widened after he heard a menacing voice approaching them from the inside.

"Ba…Ba…Dook, Dook, Dook,"

"Oh shit, here he goes again." The Monkey King, annoyed from the voice, protested.

Pitch moved a step back as he saw the being begin to emerge from the darkness and walk towards the light above them. He was startled to its appearance. Its body was covered in a very long black cloak, its hands, especially its fingers, were made from sharp, metallic blades that resembled scissors. It didn't have a head; instead the base of the tall top hat that it was wearing was stuck and stitched to the collar of his cloak.

_Now this looks…promising_ The Boogeyman smiled in appraisal as he moved closer and spoke, "Hello there…interesting being, what's your name?"

"Ba…Ba…Dook, Dook, Dook,"

"Ok…You're Babadook," Pitch said happily and asked, "So what guardian are you?"

"Ba…ba…Dook, Dook, Dook," Pitch's eyebrows twitched, the weird answer of the Babadook beginning to annoy him.

A loud thud came from the end of the wing disrupted their façade-like peaceful introduction. The Monkey King looked across the hall and onto the broken door where a group of people entered and right behind them were security drones.

"Oh shit pal, we need to get the hell out of here and pronto!" The Monkey King shouted but he was surprised when the Babadook moved forward and stood with its black cloak facing him.

"Oi what're you doing-?"

"Ba…ba…dook, dook, dook," the usual reply making the Monkey King cringe once more.

"Oh fuck, now he wants to fight," The Shadow man after what the prisoner said moved and stood beside him, he turned and bore his mask at the top hat being and silently stared and then he lightly nodded his head, seemingly approving him on facing off against the Guardians.

"Oh shit…" Monkey King groaned in protest while the Boogeyman clicked his tongue in protest. "Fine but a short battle you two."

"Arghh…" the Monkey King stood beside the Babadook with a pout. The four of them stood and watched The Guardians and security drones approach and were ready to defeat them.

* * *

><p>Woo-hoo! Finally updated! Special thanks to NewAnimeLover7951 and Invisibleamericanburgers for proofreading! SO included characters from william joyce's books, The Guardians of Childhood series...and yeah its a villain.<p> 


	8. Canto VII : Cross-Road

Canto VII

"_Through me the way into the suffering city,_

_Through me the way into eternal pain,_

_Through me the way that runs among the lost."_

_-Dante Alighieri-_

**Wing F**

"Drones 1 – 10, go forward and surround them!" Aiden commanded as the drones behind him blinked their lights and moved at a rapid speed. It all stopped after they formed a straight line in front of the escaping prisoners, blocking and cornering them to the end of the hall.

_Dead end behind us _Pitch glanced behind him and then back to the front and smiled after he saw his familiar nemesis, Jack Frost, standing beside the guardians who defeated him.

"Freeze all four of you!" the Detective taunted, his Dominator pointed dangerously at the group.

"My, my, hello there Jack Frost and the Guardians," Pitch said menacingly, his face produced a wide grin. The Guardians uneasily stared at the Nightmare King, ready and determined to defeat him once again.

"Pitch you really don't know how to give up huh," Jack said and pointed his staff at the Boogeyman, his eyes were sharp.

"Pitch you have new friends," North spoke while he scanned the other two prisoners and then stopped after he silently gasped at the hooded figure that he recognized as the shadow that was cast by the Moon, the enemy who will threaten their existence.

_It's him…_ "Yo if it isn't the Toothfairy," Tooth silently gasped after she recognized the Monkey King whose face formed a menacing smile.

"You," her eyes began to fill with furry.

"Yes it's me. This might be a touchy reunion right?"

Bunny frowned at the Monkey King and quickly whispered to Tooth.

"Tooth it's all right…he'll go down in no time,"

"Oh what's this? You have the rabbit as your boyfriend now?" The Tooth fairy cringed in anger. She almost charged first but then Bunnymund held her left hand tightly, stopping her.

Pitch smiled to the reaction of the Toothfairy but then his eyes landed quickly to the newcomer whom he noticed because of his appearance and his strange head apparel.

"Who's this North? A new ally?"

"He's our new Guardian. Man in Moon chose him and he will defeat you," North said proudly as the Nightmare King turned and asked the man.

"What's your name, old man?" Haytham's eyebrow moved to the middle, annoyed of being called 'old man', twice, by the nightmarish Guardian. His looked straight to him and said plainly,

"My name is Haytham Kenway and I am 30 years old,"

"Haytham Kenway? What an awful name, how does it feel being a new pawn that the moon had cast on his game board hmm?" The Blue Guardian sighed and locked both of his hands behind him, a habit that he created when his patience had almost run out or when he was already losing his temper.

"One thing's for sure, I am not a pawn and I am not a Guardian. I just joined out of…curiosity."

"Oh a curios lad. Too bad, I expect more from you than your elaborate clothing and that 'genourmous' hat on your head." Haytham mentally clicked his tongue and held back, preventing from saying something, after Aiden raised his right hand.

"Enough chatter, drones charge," the drones in front of the prisoners began to move and corner them. North held his dual blades and shouted, "Everyone charged!" before the Guardians moved and attacked the group of prisoners.

* * *

><p>A sound of a gun echoed throughout the hallway followed by a loud whining sound a horse made from black sand. Haytham, with his sword in his left hand, spun and buried the edges of his blade at the neck of a horse, slitting it in the process. The horse disappeared leaving a pile of black sand.<p>

He quickly pointed his gun at another horse and fired at its head and then pointed his sword and plunged it to a neck of a horse, growling behind him.

"There're too many of them!" He shouted as his back hit the Detective who was breathing hard. The two of them were then surrounded by horses made from black sand coming from the Nightmare King.

The man saw the being smiling at them. Pitch opened both of his hands and produced swirling black sand that quickly transformed into a pair of horse that galloped towards the two, entrapping them more.

Haytham observed the man with keen eyes and then he smiled.

"Aiden,"

"What?"

"Hold on," he wrapped his left hand around the man's waist, raised his right hand to the ceiling and fired his right hidden blade. Aiden grunted as the two of them hoisted and pulled by the man's bracer. Pitch watched in shock as the two quickly landed in front of him and the Detective lunged at him, pinning him on the floor.

"Pitch you're under-" his sentence was cut when he let go of his prisoner, jumping to the left to avoid a spear that protruded from the floor.

_What the devil? _Haytham observed in alertness as the spear wobbled and retracted from the man's shadow on the floor. The man with the mask silently landed its gaze on him while his shadow moved.

"Great, an interesting fellow." Haytham praised but his eyes were still and locked on the man.

* * *

><p>"Hiyaa!" Tooth punched the jaw of the Monkey King who jumped back in pain. He groaned and clutched his jaw and smiled. He then moved back again, avoiding another punch then jumped high and attached his lower limbs to a hanging light.<p>

"Heh, so strong just like last time when I invaded your home!" He let go of the lamp and landed on the floor.

"Yes, and this time I will defeat you again!" Tooth opened both of her hands. The scales on her forearms moved and spun on the middle of her palms creating a ninja-like shuriken. She threw the blades at the primate who bent and jumped in the air, avoiding it.

The Tooth fairy made more projectile blades and launched it at her enemy, her eyes filled with anger. The Monkey King continued in defense as he jumped, landed, and bent his body back, avoiding the shuriken.

The Tooth fairy made a war cry and threw a blade at him. The primate's eyes saw the approaching blade and with adrenaline rush. He raised his right hand, spun to the right, and caught the blade. Then with force and while still spinning, he jumped to the air and launched it towards the open Tooth fairy.

Tooth watched in horror as the blade hurled towards her. She crossed her arms over her head for impact after knowing that it was already too late for her to avoid it.

"Got ya Tooth!" Bunny jumped in, took out his pair of boomerangs, and swung and hit the shuriken with force, stopping its trajectory and sending it to the floor.

"B-Bunny," Tooth smiled and landed beside him.

"What about Jack?"

"He's with Lady Tsukiyomi, battling that top hat dude." Bunny said without his green eyes leaving the smiling Monkey King.

"Oh great Romeo came to the rescue," the primate said mockingly at the two.

* * *

><p>"Jack, behind me!" Lady Tsukiyomi ordered and blocked the left sharp fingers of the Babadook, creating a spark on her Katana. She grunted as the being pushed and weighted down his left hand at the woman.<p>

"Hey, top hat!" Jack flew above him and then fell. He moved his right hand and swung his staff at the being's top hat but then to his surprise, the Babadook reflexively moved his right hand and hit the winter sprite's staff, creating sparks of grey in the process.

The being silently moved back, his dark cloak fluttering softly like a liquid, and stood in a corner. Jack smiled, he and Tsuki had cornered one of Pitch's new ally. The winter sprite then jeered.

"It's over, now drop to-" he paused when the being raised both of his sharp hands, his top hat raised slightly, and then both of his limbs, along with his body, rotated 360 degrees. The speed of the rotation suddenly increased and before both of them could react, the Babadook lunged at them.

Jack yelped as he pushed Lady Tsukiyomi away from him, avoiding the scissor sharp fingers of the rotating Babadook. He looked up and sprung to the right, missing the ghastly blade a hair away. The Babadook then spun and moved towards the Winter Sprite who skip step backward, avoiding the creature's attack.

"Wah!" Jack yelped after his right foot slipped on the floor. The Babadook, seeing the boy's accident, charged forward after he saw an opening. The boy was wide eyed in panic and slanted his staff to his chest as his last defense. The cloak being continued its approach and just when it was about to slash the boy's body in half, a spark of silver blinded his eyes.

"No, you'll not hurt him!" Tsuki grunted and parried her katana to the being's scissor hands, disrupting its spinning attack. She then planted her right foot at the abdomen, kicking and creating a space between her and the creature.

"Madame, would you like to bend away for me?" Tsuki looked behind her and immediately bent her legs after she saw the end of the gun of Haytham, pointing directly at her face, a bright red bullet ejected from the barrel and traveled fast towards the Babadook. The dark being tried to evade but it was already too late. The crimson bullet hit his cloaked chest and his back made a resounding thud after he hit the wall behind him.

"Haytham-san-" Tsukiyomi straightened up but the man gave her a waving hand.

"You're clearly open and you're weak because-" Haytham's sentence was cut off when the Asian Guardian raised her Katana and took a wide step forward and thrust it to the shadow being standing behind him. Unfortunately the being moved down and ran towards the limping Babadook in front of them.

"Are you saying that I'm weak because I'm a woman?" she asked blatantly, brows crossed.

"Yes,"

"You're such a-"

"Sexist, I know. Now for our enemy," Haytham, blunt to his words, looked in front, missing the woman's glare. Jack Frost stood and moved beside him and readied his staff, however the older man criticized him.

"And you Frost, you're lying there like you've been defeated,"

"Look Haytham, the Babadook almost sliced my head off-"

"Ba—ba-dook, dook, dook," The Babadook, while he let out his response, wobbled and stood behind the shadow being, shielding himself and felt afraid of the three. The Blue Guardian looked at the cloaked being; he belittled him with sharp eyes.

"Oh this is just rich," he scoffed and added, "I guess I'll have to take you, shadow man. You're free to drag your…weak friend behind you," Before he raised his sword and impetuously moved toward the Shadow man. The Shadow man quickly jumped to the left, dragging the Babadook behind him.

Haytham made a thin smile and swung his sword in a slant upper-right curved but the being's shadow beneath him protruded a large spike, parrying the sword. The Blue Guardian moved and rapidly thrust his sword, he jumped and spun in the air and attempted to behead the being. The Shadow quickly bent backwards, missing the sharp point of the blade and grazing the upper portion of his Janus mask in the process.

He bolted backwards with, still sticking behind him like a leech, the Babadook whose top hat was trembling. Haytham ridiculed the being silently but then his eyes sharpened after he noticed something.

"Oh, so he can't do that one hm," He stared at the two and spoke to the Shadow being, "I think I already know a little bit of weakness in you, shadow man," Before he raised his sword and pointed up to the ceiling, its edges facing his face.

_I've had enough with this charade _"Time to show what I am truly capable off," His sword began to radiate in blue as his grip around it tightened. Then the light began to crawl along his hands, past his limbs and eventually the whole body of the man.

"Death…by…Metamorphosis." Haytham, while radiating in his aura-like color, chanted. Jack, stunned by the man's power, covered his eyes with his hands after the Blue Guardian's light suddenly increased in brightness and released a harsh gust of wind. Tsukiyomi moved behind him and held onto Jack in shock.

The two stood for a while, and then slowly opened their eyes after they felt the wind die down. Jack looked in front of him to see whatever Haytham released but then he and Tsukiyomi were both shocked to what they saw.

"Ha—Haytham, is that you?" Jack observed the man. The man's cape, which was adorned with beautiful embroidery of an eagle and a large cross underneath, was now tattered and half-torn along with the cloak underneath, the weird hat looked old and filled with loose strings and fabric. The man's clothing had completely transformed into a sinister, war-torn like, looking one from its peaceful previous form.

"Haytham-san?" Tsukiyomi called out but then both of them let out a silent gasp as Haytham turned and looked at them. His face, from his handsome, old one had now transformed into a skull. The winter sprite was stupefied. He saw the man's left eye covered in black, instead of a white one, and his pupils were blue, his right eye however was emitting a blue flame from the inside. The only part of his face that still had skin and muscle was a large upper portion of his left side, the rest was nothing but flaming bones.

"Hahaha…" Haytham laughed in a dark, dooming voice which made the Winter Sprite gulp down in fear. The man's voice had completely changed from its, somewhat perfect British accent to a malevolent, devil-like one. "It's been a while…since I released this part of me," He added and looked at the Shadow Man.

"Now, do you want to see your flesh burning in blue?" The Guardian mocked the Shadow and then suddenly disappeared. _What?_ Jack darted his eyes frantically, searching for the Guardian. The Shadow Man stood still and then quickly moved and jerked his head backwards, avoiding the blade of the man's sword. Haytham reappeared in front of him, his burning skull beaming over the masked man.

He quickly withdrew his sword and thrust it to the man's chest but the shadow being sharpened his shadow beneath him and formed a spear, blocking the attack. He side stepped backward as the Blue Guardian moved and swiftly swung his glowing sword upward, then downward in a slant curvature. Haytham grunted and jumped to the air, he pointed his and lurched downward and emitted a blinding blue spark.

The Shadow Guardian averted the attack; his spear shadow deterred the blade. "What's the matter?" Haytham derided, moving his sword and attempting to break the black spear, "Can't move, I suggest you sacrifice that friend of yours," He sneered and nudged his sword more, cracking the hardened shadow.

The mask man slowly looked and stared at the burning Guardian. He let out a silent grunt and started resisting the man. "Found…you…" Haytham's eyes didn't move but he heard the man's grave voice, coming from his mask. His bony jaw opened a little, a sign that he made a smile.

He was about to respond however the Shadow man swiftly planted his right foot on his stomach. He cringed slightly but moved his sword back, releasing the man from his strong forestalling stance.

"Why you!" Haytham cursed but then he paused after the man took out something from his robe and held it in his right hand. Puzzled, the man only stared, clueless to what the object was as the shadow being pressed something and it began to glow in blue-green and produced a loud beeping sound.

Aiden Pearce, who swung his electric police baton and wedged it inside a nightmare horse's mouth, darted his eyes in panic after he heard the beeping sound, he realized what it was, and shouted in alertness. "Get out of there! It's an Electromagnetic Pulse Grenade!"

Jack and Tsukiyomi looked at him and before they could turn around, to warn Haytham, the Shadow Man threw it to the floor with a force. The round object, bounced and dropped to the floor, still beeping, and then suddenly released a blinding turquoise light.

Haytham grunted and covered his eyes with his right arm, Jack and Tsukiyomi doing the same. The floor of the hall, after the explosion created a crater in it, cracked and gave away, exposing the clouds and the outside world of the Court.

* * *

><p>The Shadow Man, after he held onto the Babadook's scissor sharp right hand, made a bow, mocking the Blue Guardian and jumped to the hole and freefell to the earth below.<p>

The Boogeyman immediately ran. He created a black horse from his black sand and shielded himself from Aiden's turquoise bullet which was aimed at him.

He smirked after he saw Aiden's scowling face and jumped to his freedom.

The Monkey King, who was holding the Toothfairy on the neck by his right hand and punching the Rabbit Guardian with his left rapidly, saw the hole and smiled.

"Well, good bye lovebirds!" He said and quickly sprinted towards the opening and before he jumped, he raised his right hand and made a bad finger at the two.

The two Guardians stared in anger and horror, the Detective cursed under his breath, and Jack and Lady Tsukiyomi cringed in resentment as the light from the hole flooded the whole wing. "They got away," Haytham said gravely, he peered down to the clouds below with his, still burning, furry eyes.

North and Sandman let out a sigh of disappointment. Their enemies, even though they got the Blue Guardian, whom the moon had predicted will stop them, had escaped right under their noses.

* * *

><p>Jack clicked his tongue in disappointment. He moved and stood beside the burning Guardian and also looked down. <em>They were just here, we almost defeated them <em>he protested in silent temper for a while. Unmoved and deep in frustration, the winter sprite continued to shout in his mind until his attention moved to Haytham who was still staring at the clouds below.

Jack observed the man. He was still releasing a blue-aura like flame that surrounded his body. His face was still in a hideously, rotten form showing his skull. He gulped down as he felt a little bit of fear begin to creep over his back.

"Haytham?" he almost jumped in shock as the man turned and cast his fiery eyes at him.

"Are you…all right?" the winter sprite gulped down but then puzzled after the guardian's mouth moved.

"G—guardians," Haytham hissed the word like a devil. Jack gave an abashing look at the Guardian and just as he was about to speak, he let out a loud yelp as he bent his body backward, avoiding a blade.

Haytham grunted as raised his sword with his left hand and swung it downward but the winter sprite blocked it with his staff, releasing a blue spark in the process.

"Ha-Haytham! What're doing!?" Jack asked, disoriented from the man's sudden attack, and moved his left foot backward. He withdrew himself and side stepped to the left, avoiding the sword which grazed his left shoulder and made him gasp in pain. He attempted to jump back but then his back hit a corner of the wall. His eyes went wide, he was cornered and right in front of him was Haytham in a derange state.

"Must…kill…" Haytham stopped moving and reached and held tightly on his pistol on his left holster. He slowly took it out and pointed it at the frightened winter sprite who was backed into a corner of a wall, "all…Guardians!"

The man's right hand trembled; his index finger grasped the trigger. Haytham's gun began to glow in red; his scorching eyes loomed over the winter sprite.

"Haytham it's me! Jack! You're a guardian!" Jack shouted but the Blue Guardian only seethed.

"Guardian…die…-!" And just before the man pulled the trigger, a loud pop sound echoed throughout the wing and then he let out a short shout. Haytham cowered and let go of his gun, staggering and beginning to wobble, disoriented, and then fell to the ground unconsciously.

* * *

><p><strong>Target's Psycho-Pass updated:<strong>

**Crime Coefficient: 999**

**Enforcement Mode is Non-Lethal Paralyzer. Aim calmly and disable the Target.**

Jack's eyes moved in shocked and landed at Aiden whose hands were raised and held tightly around his weapon, the Dominator. The detective scoffed and clicked his tongue and said arrogantly, "I told you, he's dangerous," He stood up as his gun retracted to its normal size and put it in his holster on his back. The Guardians were bewildered to what Haytham did to Jack.

_Haytham…_Jack then looked back to the man and was startled as he saw the man's face begin to transform back to his original one. He pondered deeply, _just what are you? _

* * *

><p><em>Again Darkness…<em>I calmly opened my eyes and let out a simply sigh of familiarity. The whole place where I am was the same whenever I rest my eyes from exhaustion or even close it for a minute when I think.

"Now they've seen me..." I stopped my daze and open my eyes. I looked above the endless inky, pitch black sky and started reflecting on the actions that I've done earlier back in the court. I remember the feeling of my blood running through veins. I began to feel hot inside my body which then increased to an almost unbearable heat. And then before I know it, I transformed into my hideous form.

"Heh," As I recall, I formed a smirk after I remember all of my memories whenever I use that form. One was during a cold winter night in a town in Ukraine, I got angry after I watched someone get mugged on the street and I didn't help the victim and the next thing I knew I accidentally set a nuclear reactor on its meltdown stage which then exploded.

"What happens in Chernobyl…stays in Chernobyl…" I restrained myself from laughing, excusing myself from rudeness since the effect of the incident was very catastrophic.

I stare at the darkness again and eventually my happiness dies down, soon a feeling of loneliness crept into my chest, the same annoying feeling that dragged me more than my cape on my back.

_If only this heart can stop beating again…I mightn't feel this loneliness _my chest tightened in agony. I am already dead, my heart shouldn't beat.

"_You're…not…alone…_" my eyes darted in alertness; my blood becomes alive in vigilance after I hear a voice from the distance. A voice that wasn't here before and before I could ask, I felt a pain in my head.

* * *

><p><strong>Wing A: Infirmary No 1<strong>

"Aah!" Haytham gasped from his disrupted sleep. His eyes were wide in shock and his breathing pace was fast. A cold sweat ran across his cheeks as he sat straight up on his bed and sighed. He was somehow completely drained from the dream and a little bit disturbed.

_Who was that?_ He closed and rubbed his eyes using his right hand, disquieted and disoriented. _I heard that voice…somewhere_ he looked up to the ceiling and bore his questioning blue eyes to its grey-white colors.

"That voice…I know that voice-"his thoughts were cut off when he heard the door open behind him. The man moved and landed his dazed gaze on the door and steely stared at the short, cleric-robed woman and her ascetic subordinate Aiden Pearce.

Aiden passed to the foot of his bed and stood beside him. He gave him an unrelenting look and took out his Dominator which Haytham silently labeled as 'annoying-yet-powerful gun'. The Dominator lit up and talked in its usual female, rigid, electronic, tone.

**Target's Psycho-Pass Updated:**

**Crime Coefficient: 1**

**Target is not legible for Enforcement Method. Trigger will be locked.**

"Fascinating Aiden," Haytham sarcastically remarked and added in assertion, "I'm innocent and yes, I caused some major disaster but it was all accident."

"Save your traps to your britches, Haytham." Aiden gave him a cold stare and put his gun back to his holster. They both turned after they heard a loud 'ahem' coming from the short superior woman, Dlanor A. Knox.

Dlanor moved and landed her amber eyes on the man and sternly said. "Sorry about my subordinate's actions Sir Haytham, I am Dlanor A Knox by the way, the Guardian of Truth."

Haytham raised his eyebrow in amusement. He couldn't help but form a small smirk on his lips, in incredulity.

"I have to say…you're pretty small for a guardian."

"And I have to say, you're such a fine gentlemen," the guardian paused, looked and inspected her right hand's fingernails, and continued, "that even today's women will find you weird and would rather avoid you."

Haytham scoffed and crossed his arms on his bare chest and began to discuss in a casual way. Somehow he liked how the woman talked about the issue.

"How long was I out anyway?"

"1 day that's all,"

"Oh, now about those prisoners that escaped?" the woman made a thin smile at him and dictated.

"There were three of them; Monkey King who was a _Maharajah _of a certain Asian Kingdom. He was prideful hunter until one day when he was cursed by faeries and transformed into a monkey."

Haytham raised a skeptical eyebrow; he couldn't believe what he was hearing right now even though it sounded very informative. However he only shrugged off the feeling and asked,

"What did he do and why did the 'faeries' curse him?" He tried to speak normal but he couldn't help but silently ridicule the fact that the criminal was cursed by some things created by adults to fuel a children's imagination-

"He murdered a flying Elephant and that was a deity to them," he paused his ridiculing thoughts and closed his mouth in dismay; _This will take a long day_ the man let out a long sigh, inwardly.

"So he became a common thief and that is where he found Rashmi and Haroom, a former Tooth fairy, after he snuck into the Palace of Punjam Hy Loo, the place of the current Tooth fairy, and murdered them." Haytham opened his eyes after he heard the grave word murder. He reflected what the Guardian said and queried more.

"Were Haroom and Rashmi… Ms. Tooth's parents?"

"Yes," Dlanor bluntly nodded and the man retreated from asking. He recalled the attack yesterday, especially the part where that Monkey King taunted the Tooth fairy. _So that's why she's angry huh, _he pondered deeply and bent his body forward, resting both of his elbow on his knees.

"The Babadook, however was a new demonic being that terrorized a certain individual's home. He doesn't have affiliations and occupations. In short he just appeared out of nowhere." Haytham retreated from his thoughts and listened intently again.

"And what's his crime?"

Dlanor glanced at Aiden who closed his green eyes and said. "He was flagged down by one of my surveillance specters, his Psycho-Pass was too high and he was at a level of a rogue Guardian."

"That's it?" The man didn't show any expression and nodded. The Blue Guardian let out a chagrin sigh. _No wonder why then…_he cleared his throat in an autocratic manner and asked.

"And what about…Pitch Black?"

"He's the Nightmare King, AKA the Boogeyman. He rebelled against Man in Moon 1 year ago and the Big 4 Guardians defeated him. That's all." Dlanor bleakly reported with a straight eye. The Blue Guardian then wondered and re-thinks his thoughts about the Nightmare King. He considered the Black Guardian as a weakling.

_Most likely his form of attack will be at a psychological level…_ a conclusion formed in his mind and made him smile.

"I think that's all we know about them," Aiden crossed his arms on his chest and continued, "but we mustn't let our guard down because 'the unknown' being was leading them,"

Haytham only nodded, agreeing with the Detective, and Dlanor cleared her throat before saying.

"Can you get dressed Haytham, the Guardians are waiting for you by the way." Dlanor stood up and walked towards the door. The man also did the same and fetched his clothes that were neatly folded on a table. He sighed as he put on his white slacks. _Great, meeting them again, _he thought fretfully.

* * *

><p><strong>Dlanor's Office<strong>

Jack gawked up at the portrait of a woman clad in a blue cleric robe, same as the Guardian of Truth's. He gulped down and took in the splendor of the round brown eyes of the woman.

"Akane…Tsu-ne-mori?" The winter sprite struggled to pronounce the name of the subject of the portrait, the woman on his mind. '_The first guardian of Truth…whoa' _the boy stared in awe.

North, Bunny and Tooth were talking to each other on the very far side of the room. The old Guardian let out a heartbroken sigh and landed his wistful eyes on the Toothfairy. Tooth however didn't see his condoling expression; she stared through the window, outside at the courtyard of the Court of Heaven. Even the place gives off a peaceful aura. It didn't change the somber feeling inside the woman.

"Poor Tooth…that Monkey King will pay for what he had done." Bunny said with enmity, his brows furrowed at the sight of the distressed Fairy. The only thing that he can do for his friend right now was to console her and that angers him more.

Sandman, hovering on the sofa, silently sighed and rested his back. Lady Tsukiyomi, sitting on the opposite chair of the good dream Guardian, looked across the room at Tooth with apprehension. She too was a little bit disturbed to what happened to her friend.

The heavy mood however was disrupted when the door opened with a loud thud. Dlanor and Aiden entered with their heavy footsteps and trailing behind them, while still fixing his hair, was Haytham.

"Ah, Haytham, how's the injury?" North greeted him with a happy face and the Blue Guardian simply ignored it.

"Fine, now why's everyone gathered here?"

"Waiting for you mate," The man turned to the Rabbit Guardian mechanically, "What you did yesterday was completely unbelievable, you must almost kill Frostbite."

Haytham's brow crossed from the Rabbit's accusation but he controlled his annoyance and only answered. "I did say that I'm not planning to stay in this group for long, I do not care if some of you will get hurt from my powers."

The Guardians let out a short groan of displeasure but the man ignored it and sat down beside Sandy who was still sleeping.

"I think I need fresh air," Bunny turned to Tooth who said it in a low tone. She silently bowed to him and flew slowly towards the door and eventually exited the room. Bunny, after a brief moment, sighed and followed her.

"Well then shall we begin the meeting, we don't have all day." Haytham suggested as the Guardian of Truth summoned a holographic window. The Guardians gathered and without any more delay, the meeting begun.

* * *

><p>Woo-hoo! Fanfic update! Who love's Psycho-Pass? I do! Special thanks to Invisibleamericanburgers and NewAnimeLover7951 for beta-reading!<p> 


	9. Canto XIII : Sword of Eden

Canto VIII

"_Man's memory shapes_

_Its own Eden within."_

_-Jorges Luis Borges- _

* * *

><p>November 28 2014<p>

_Great, this is going nowhere _Monkey King kicked with light force a small rock that fell to the deep abyss below him. He ran his gaze around the place where he was in, the lair of Pitch Black. Everything, even the atmosphere that gave off, was colored in black and grey. The rocks that formed the interior were all shaped in steep angles, the pillars that stood on his sides were old and decaying, and it was like he was in a sinking city of Venice only much scarier and creepy.

"Talking about 'Pimp my House,' this place needs a little bit of makeover, sheesh!" He fussed in a plain tone as he resumed his walking.

The Monkey King, with his arms crossed around his chest, snarled at a Nightmare Horse, Pitch's fearlings, after he saw it peaking from behind a pillar discreetly. He clicked his tongue in dismay and grumbled.

_Piss off _The ape hated being watched by them, only protested mentally. He didn't have the courage to kill it since it would anger the Nightmare King and might complain to the Shadow Man, whom he considered as his 'new found' friend. He had seen him fight and he was absolutely amazed but a little bit terrified, he didn't want him to get angry over his petty annoyance.

"Hmph, he's lucky that I don't know him—"

"Ba, ba, dook?" He almost yelped in shock but he restrained his voice and turned around. The Babadook stood behind him motionless, his top hat looming over him, he seemed to be following him.

"What do you want…Oh I'm guessing your guarding me and you'll tell Pitch if I do something funny eh," the Primate rose a brow, annoyed and miffed at the dark being's surveillance method.

The Babadook shook his head, moving his top hat and denying what the Monkey King said, and spoke again. The Primate listened to him and then rolled his eyes.

"Great now what does he want?" He groaned and sighed and resumed his slow pace and lazy walk towards the main chamber of the Nightmare King, still annoyed and irritated.

* * *

><p>The main chamber was just like the hallway outside; dark, gloomy, and menacing-like. The ceiling above was grey and black and hundreds of cages, attached and suspended, made a low creaking sound after the Monkey King passed through below it.<p>

Pitch Black and his 'friend' stood in front of a large globe. The large sphere-shape contraption glowed in ominous gold as the Shadow Man stared at it, observing and probably thinking something sinister.

"You summoned me?" Pitch slowly turned to the Monkey King and made a smile. He moved closer and loomed over him and spoke.

"Yes, Monkey King, I know your history. It was very unfortunate for you am I right?"

"Heh, whatever," the Primate said and picked his ears. Pitch Black, after he saw the reaction of the Monkey King, frowned and moved away. He was expecting him to scowl from being offended but to no avail. He stood beside the Shadow Man and asked,

"So…what's the plan?"

The Shadow Man didn't immediately answer; his Bi-color mask glowed as it reflected the lights coming from the globe. He stood there, contemplating and then finally spoke in a raspy voice.

"I want you…to tell me anything about the Guardians…" He shifted his gaze and bore his mask at the listening Nightmare King and added, "and their weaknesses…"

Pitch Black, the Nightmare King, slowly created a wicked smile on his pale face. He locked his hands behind him and walked towards the globe. "Well then…" he paused as he raised his right hand, opened it and summoned a small cloud of black sand, and continued, "It'll be long…but very, very entertaining,"

* * *

><p><strong>Great Court of Heaven – Oval Office<strong>

**(24 hours later)**

Haytham, with his eyes close and legs crossed, listened intently. The meeting that was ongoing right now didn't do anything but waste his time, space…and his patience. 24 hours after it started, they still couldn't move to the same topic that was bugging him from the very beginning: Who is the Shadow Man.

"It's unknown and he's too strong." Dlanor put her elbow on her table, her chin rested on her crossed fingers, suggested. The man only rolled his eyes in her oblivious suggestion.

"And you see how he moves, it's almost liquid like." Jack took a sip of the tea that he was drinking; he looked at Haytham, across the table, and asked worriedly.

"What do you think Haytham?" _Oh now I can get the spotlight _the man shifted from his sitting position before he stood up and walked towards the window. He stared at the clouds as he organized his thoughts for an answer.

"Indeed he moves like water, I purged my sword at him, and it only passed through," He shifted from his stand and turned around stiffly, locking his hands behind him and moving slowly.

"However I notice something about him, his abilities I mean," His gaze moved towards the portrait of a woman dressed in blue cleric uniform, and began his reasoning. "When I delivered a thrust that time he immediately moved and backed himself to a corner with the Babadroll-"

"Babadook," He paused and gave a serious stare at Dlanor who simply corrected him. He hated being disrupted in his mid-argument, "'Babadook,' and then he summoned a spike from his shadow, blocking my attack, and that's when I noticed it," He stopped below a portrait of a man and stated. "The shadow of Babadook and him, were half overlapping, but the spike only came out his shadow which means…that he cannot manipulate someone's shadow other than his."

The Guardians looked at each other, unable to comply and digest what he said. Haytham briefly observed their reactions and let out a sigh of disappointment. _I just can't believe that this group of Guardians, who were in charge of protecting millions of children, can't simply understand what I am talking about!_ He criticizes them and added.

"What I am saying is, if we want to defeat this guardian, we must corner him to a place without light," the Guardians smiled and nodded their heads. They finally understood what the blue Guardian was saying.

Jack was about to say something to the man when suddenly the door of to the office opened. Bunnymund panted as he entered and hopped towards North, whose sentence was cut from his sudden entrance.

"North, we have an emergency." Haytham cast his eyes in suspicion at the rabbit Guardian. _They strike first _his hunch was correct after North exclaimed.

"Tooth's palace, under attack?"

"Yes, Tooth already flew away we have to hurry!" North clicked his tongue in alarm. He took his swords from the wall and swung them into his hilt. "Everyone we must help Tooth, I don't know what they're planning but we will not let them succeed," The guardian thundered as everyone nodded and began to exit the room.

Aiden, standing beside Dlanor, moved his green eyes beside him with a requesting look. The Guardian of Truth nodded and said to him, "Find out who's this Guardian and bring him to this court," in a blunt tone, without looking at him.

The Detective moved away and said to Haytham, who was still standing beside the doorway, "Missions not yet over…"

"I know…This meeting was a waste of time by the way." The Blue Guardian noted plainly as they both walked towards the outside of the court of Heaven.

* * *

><p><strong>Burgess<strong>

_Top News for the week: the Minister of Economy of Vespania, was found dead during a theatrical play of Nightmare before Christmas in Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Authorities suspected assassination or foul play since the man has many enemies within Russia but they ruled it out after a medical autopsy report reveals that the man had severed from heart attack. Meanwhile, friends and Family mourned together, especially the Ambassador of Vespania, who was very alarmed from his death._

_This is VNN's top stories for now, stay tuned_

Jamie listened to the news from the T.V. He shivered outside an electronic store after a cold wind brushed against his winter jacket. He only smiled after he looked up and saw the grey sky began to release snow that slowly freefell to the ground.

"Jack sure is a fun friend of mine," He giggled from the happy imagination. "Oh…I think that's all." The brunette haired boy turned around and cast his happy eyes at a boy. The boy was wearing a thick brown winter cloak that covered his body up to his knees.

"Oh Mikey, did you buy it?"

"Yeah," The brown haired Mikey took out an inhaler from a bag and puffed it to his mouth; he closed his eyes and relaxed after he felt the medicine to take effect. "Thanks Jamie cousin, I hope I didn't disturb your friends," His brown eyes cast a worried look at his cousin Jamie.

"Oh no they're fine," Jamie Bennet looked at him with amusement. His cousin Mikey was the same age as him. His shoulder length hair waved as cold air swept pass them, his skin was tan like he had a heritage of a Native American, which was probably the case.

The two discussed happily as they walked along the sidewalk of the main town of Burgess, enjoying the snow season.

"Say do you have a Native American heritage?"

"Yes…well I'm half, my father too but he said that his ancestors were Native Americans," The boy said, they stood at a pedestrian walk and his cousin asked him again.

"Cool! I never knew I had a half Native American cousin. How's your dad, my uncle I mean?" The boy's face was displaying a smile towards the Indian boy but then he was startled after he saw his cousin's face change to a sad one.

"Well um, he's dead, cancer took him in," Jamie gulped down, shocked and saddened by what the boy said. Mikey let out a gloomy sigh, but then he smile to the saddened Jamie after a minute long of awkward silence to cheer him up.

"Now now cousin, don't get sad, it's Christmas,"

Jamie after a minute of observation immediately responded in an elated manner and began to discuss with his other friends, namely the Guardians.

"You should meet Jack Frost and his buddies,"

"Jack Frost," The boy raised his right brow in skepticism, "isn't he just an expres-"

"Hold it! Nope he's not an expression," Jamie defended lively and the boy only laughed at him. The two continued talking as they exchanged words, Mikey, the Indian boy, felt happy and somehow relieve. He would certainly enjoy his reunion and visit here in this town.

* * *

><p>North's sleigh flew at a rapid speed above the clouds of the great court of Heaven. The Guardians behind him silently stared at the horizon as the Old Guardian took out a snow globe.<p>

"North, before you do something, may I ask?" Haytham, as usual in his calm attitude, asked, "Do you have a plan other than mine?"

"Plan, what Plan?" North chuckled, his right hand shook the globe vigorously until it began to glow, "There's one and it's called….attack!" _Oh this is just great, _Haytham only let out a sigh of disappointment as North threw the globe. The Globe shot forward and then exploded and produced a powerful light. The sleigh immediately entered and the Guardians prepared for the battle.

* * *

><p>The sleigh exited the portal and flew throughout the clouds. The Guardians looked towards the horizon and saw the massive Palace of Punjam Hy Loo, the palace of Toothfairy. Haytham viewed with his eyes still on the palace, silently praising its massive seven columns protruding from the ground that made up the shape. It was very beautiful and grandeur, <em>Interesting palace-<em>

His eyes suddenly caught something on the horizon. He squinted and adjusted his vision and then when he finally saw it he exclaimed,

"Incoming!" he quickly bent his knees to lower himself, avoiding just in time a horde of black horses that swept closely passed above them. The Guardians looked in front again and was shocked as they saw hundreds of Pitch's Nightmare fearlings swirling and crawling along the columns.

Jack darted his eyes and saw a horse, flying nearby, chasing a group of mini-tooth fairies. "They're kidnapping the tooth fairies again!" He shouted and flew away from the sleigh.

"Goddamnit!" Bunny took out his boomerang and threw it with force at a horse, flying on the right side of the sleigh.

"3 ponies, 6 'o' clock!"

"On it!" Aiden raised his gun, it glowed in blue-green before its barrel opened and transformed.

**Enforcement mode is Lethal Eliminator—**the man fired immediately and hit the first horse on the right, then the left. He was about to fire a third shot when he grunted after the sleigh shook violently.

"Shit I'll miss-" he exclaimed but then he heard a loud bang from behind and saw a red bullet that swirled pass beside him and hit the third horse.

"Mind if I help detective?" Haytham bore his mocking smile at Aiden who only clicked his tongue in distrust.

"You better not have any idea of shooting me from behind."

"I'm tempted but because I'm curious about this place, I didn't."

The man smugly said in a polite manner and made the detective cast a glance of uncertainty at him.

"Haytham! Lad my boy, I need you to do me a favor!" North, with his one hand at the rope that controlled his reindeer and the other at his blade that he slashed a horse with on the portside of his sleigh, called him in a panicking voice.

The man only sighed and moved beside him.

"What?"

"Drive the sleigh and land it somewhere near."

"North are you aware that I do not drive-"

"Just take it dammit!" North shouted in annoyance at the man who only let out a grumbled sigh and took the rope, the helm of the sleigh. He didn't want to waste any time in arguing with him. "North do I have to remind you about the condition that I gave-"

He turned around but then he was startled after he saw North jump from the sleigh, fell, and landed on the ground filled with Nightmare horses.

"Great," Haytham griped in annoyance but then he quickly pulled the rope after he saw a column in front. He quickly whipped the reindeer, commanding them to gain speed and descend rapidly towards the ground.

"The things that I'm doing right now!" Haytham fret loudly in pique, his temper was about to fuse out from anger but then he controlled it as the sleigh hit and skidded off a platform. He pulled the rope hard, commanding the deer's to a full stop.

* * *

><p>The man quickly jumped out and unsheathed his sword and with quick movement, he swung it and slashed a horse in half that was galloping towards him. He was startled however when a group of familiar little green fairies came out from the insides of the horse, before it turned into a pile of sand.<p>

_Those were…Ms Tooth's familiars. What were they doing-_ his question was answered when he looked up and saw a group of mini-tooth fairies that were chased away by a Nightmare horse.

"So they're eating them," he exclaimed and felt amused, "fascinating-"

"Haytham, 6 o' clock!" The old man immediately pointed his gun behind him and, without turning back, fired. The bullet immediately connected and buried inside the head of horse that was running towards him.

He scanned the whole place cautiously checking for any approaching Fear Stallion, but then his eyes landed instead on Tooth and Monkey King who were both engaging in a fierce battle on a large staircase by the column. He watched for a short while and then concluded.

_That woman isn't going to win,_ he stared at them and felt concern and urge to help the Guardian. And then to his dismay, somehow, the latter won.

"Aiden, I'm going to Tooth, stay here for a while will you?" The Detective swung and planted his electric baton in the head of a horse and turn around to shout and warn the man not to do it, but then he only saw his back, running away from him.

"Shit, now I'm stuck here!" he only cursed in frustration.

* * *

><p>"Heh!" Monkey King, let out a snuggled scoffed, and planted the edge of the sword that he held tightly to the Fairy's dagger in her right hand. Tooth grunted in pain as she felt the immense weight that she took in.<p>

Tooth opened and bears her violet eyes at the primate after she kicked him in his stomach and pushed him further away from her. The sword that he was wielding glowed an ominous gold.

"Oh Toothiana," Monkey King said in a mocking tone, his sword swinging loosely as he held it carelessly in his right hand, "Just give up will ya, and hand it over to me,"

"Never!"

The primate made derisive eyes at the Fairy before he spoke in a stock-up tone. "This weapon of mine called 'Sword of Eden' makes me a powerful being," he looked at her with superiority, "So I suggest you give up now-"

His sentence was cut short however when he senses picked up a danger; he quickly raised the sword to his face, preventing a blade from cutting his head off. A blinding spark of Gold and Blue erupted and flooded the whole floor. _What the-!_ Monkey King was shocked after his eyes landed on Haytham, his sword parrying his.

* * *

><p>"Heh well, well, well," Monkey King smiled and jumped away from the man and laughed lightly and spoke in derogatory tone. "If it isn't the great and amazing Haytham Kenway, you're kinda famous by the way."<p>

Haytham raised his right eyebrow skeptically, doubting what the primate said.

"If that is so then I don't need to introduce myself to you am I right?" He flipped his sword in his left hand, played with it for a second, before pointing it again at the Primate King. He produced a confident aura but in his mind he pondered deeply, he noticed something weird earlier when he parried the enemy's weapon.

_That sword earlier…it somehow 'pushed' me away_ "Haytham, be careful!" He glanced over his right shoulder as the Toothfairy dictated cautiously. "His sword, it's like it has its own force field."

After hearing what the Fairy said, a smile formed on his face. _A force field you say..._Haytham, as if the warning was just invitation to attack, quickly raised his gun and fired a single bullet. Monkey King saw the incoming metal and quickly moved his sword upward, deflecting the bullet but released a gold spark in the process.

He grunted however when he felt the immense force that pushed him a little. "What the-!" he exclaimed, startled to what happened.

_Indeed it has, well then..._Haytham, after finding out the power of the weapon, quickly charged towards him, his sword at the ready. He lunged and spun in the air and hit the sword of Monkey King who blocked his attack. The man landed and careened forward and aimed at the Monkey's head but the enemy dodged his attack.

"Oi! Don't ya get tired!" Monkey King side-stepped to the left in devious manner and connected his sword to Haytham, making him cringe after he felt his strength.

"That's my question Monkey King," Haytham withdrew his sword and in a fast motion, kicked the Primate in his stomach. The Monkey King faltered backward but then he jerked back again, avoiding the Guardian's blade.

_How's this possible? My sword, no, this Sword of Eden is supposed to make me invincible!_ He thought in fear of losing against the man who merely attacked him without breaking a single sweat as he quickly ran away from him. He was about to leap off the ledge when he felt a sharp pain in his right leg, making him trip and hit the ground.

"May I ask where you're going?" Haytham moved towards the fallen Monkey King. The enemy looked behind him and was terrified to see the looming face of the man, his blue eyes shining sharply over him.

_Shit-! I'm going to lose!_ His thoughts scrambled as he attempted to move.

"Monkey King," the Blue Guardian loomed over him, his eyes gave a disgusted look, "How about I give you a chance to escape?" The statement made the Toothfairy give a sharp look at his back.

"Haytham you can't-"

"What're you saying...?" The man ignored the Fairy's protest as he moved closer to the fallen Primate. He bent down and grabbed the enemy by his neck and lifted him up and made him stand.

The Monkey King staggered for a bit but he supported himself with the Sword of Eden.

Haytham moved away, gaining some distance, but then he faced and pointed his gun at him. "The rules are simple; deflect as many bullets as you can until my gun chamber runs empty," The Monkey King looked at him with suspicion, analyzing what the man had proposed, he judged his situation and mentally clicking his tongue after he concluded that the only way to get out of here...was to get shot in the head-

"My patience is wearing thin..."

"Ok..," Monkey King raised his sword and gulped as the man prepared his gun. He quickly moved his sword in a curvature motion after he saw an incoming bullet, his sword came in contact but then he felt an immense force that made him slide off the ground.

"Wha—" He cut his thoughts immediately as he swung his sword, dodging another bullet, and experiencing the same result. The sword pushed him more.

"What the hell!"

"That, Little Primate," Haytham fired again and hit the sword, "is Conservation of Linear Momentum," He fired again and hit the Sword of Eden. The Monkey King teetered and held his weapon tightly with both of his hands.

The man aimed his gun again and then fired, the Primate watched as the bullet traveled towards him and when he saw it near to his distance he quickly pivoted his right arm and with force, swung it to dodge the bullet. And just as the edges of the sword touched the bullet, it suddenly exploded.

"AAghh!" Monkey King screamed in pain as a fragment of the sword, pierced the eye patch that was covering his left eye, blood began to pour out from his already empty left eye socket as he fell to the ground.

_And that is law of conservation of energy…physics, _

* * *

><p>Haytham, formed a satisfying smile, watched him his eyes were unmoved and without remorse. He slowly moved towards the Monkey King, grabbed him by his neck and lifted him up without any effort. He moved towards the edge of the ground.<p>

"St...stop..." Monkey King uttered and pleaded, his orange eyes looked at Haytham's.

"Is that what Tooth's parents said to you before you mercilessly killed them?" Tooth's eyes, which were filled with shock from what she witnessed, looked at Haytham in an understanding gaze. _So that's why he was cruel to him._

The Monkey King didn't answer him as Haytham spoke again in a harsh tone, "I didn't do this out of sympathy for Ms. Tooth. I did this out of my curiosity on what will be her reaction," His grip tightened around the neck, making the Primate gasped for air.

"Now...go back to your master's rat hole." The man stared at him and then let him go. The Monkey King fell towards the ground, passing several floors. Jack and Bunny, who were both busy destroying horses, saw a glimpse of the Monkey King as he free fell to the ground below them.

* * *

><p>"Haytham you don't have to-!" The man ignored Tooth's protest as he saw the Monkey King below, begin to glow in green and burst into flames and disappear, a tell-tale sign of magic teleportation.<p>

"Good..." Haytham uttered as North and the Guardians reached their floor. They were all huffing and puffing, tired from defending the whole castle against the horde of Black Horses.

"Guys!" Tooth immediately flew towards the Guardians and hugged them tightly. She was relieved everyone was all right, although tired and almost worn out from defending her place. She quickly told them what happened and everyone only stared in amazement at Haytham who was still wondering around the palace.

_Well, this is a nice place for summer vacation-_

"You did all that Haytham, for Tooth?" The man heard North and merely let out a sigh of displeasure. He was clear enough earlier that it wasn't but then with heaviness he answered.

"No, I want him to go back to his masters so I can end them when they come out. I want to put an end to this 'worthless charade'," He landed his eyes on North and blatantly added, "And immediately sever my alliance with you."

The Guardians let out a short groan of protest and daunt, the man's hatred hadn't faltered a bit. Haytham then looked at Tooth who hovered and knelt on the floor and slowly picked up several cylindrical, gold canisters in a slow bereaved-like pace.

"By the way, Tooth," the Fairy turned around and wiped some tears away from her face and hid her sad expression but the man already saw and heeded no interest at her dismal situation.

"Why did they attack you first?"

Tooth didn't answer for a moment, she let out a sigh of anxiety and looked at a column near her, and then she spoke. "These columns Haytham, contains canisters. The canisters like this, contains the teeth of children."

The man was slightly taken-a-back but he quickly straightened himself mentally, after he recalled Ms. Tooth's identity as the Toothfairy, and asked more, "Teeth?"

"Because a child's tooth contains many good memories and if they want to recall or remember a particular good memory, we help them." She looked at a broken canister with melancholy. "It also affects their belief of us, Guardians. However…"

"However?" Haytham nudged for more answer, he tried to act calm but deep inside he was thinking hard.

"They stole all of the canisters and the children's teeth…except for one." She smiled and whistled loudly. Several mini-Tooth fairies flew and descended from above and then flew behind a column. The Guardians watched and waited for several seconds before the small group appeared again, this time carrying a canister similar to what Tooth was holding.

It stopped in front of Tooth and the Toothfairy showed it to Haytham, with a slight smile of excitement.

"This canister…" She paused as her face changed to melancholic one again and said, "Contains your teeth Haytham, and also your Good memories,"

Haytham stared with un-moved eyes at the Tooth fairy. What the woman said was just like a bomb that exploded in front of him, he was completely stunned, shocked, and somehow…relieved. He didn't show his expression but he felt the sudden surge of curiosity and eagerness and excitement.

"My…memories…" He slowly spoke in astonishment. He looked at the canister before he took it from Tooth. He examined it with keen eyes and saw an innocent child's face, drawn on the side. _This is me…?_He thought as he looked at the drawing before he asked again.

"These are my memories…"

"Yes,"

"That means, I will finally know who I really am," Tooth merely nodded and smiled. She examined the man, although his face was a little bit stiff and stern, he was clearly bewildered and shaken up. She saw it all despite his attempts to hide it from everyone and that made her feel happy.

"Do you want to see it now?" she asked as the man looked with a quietude eyes. Haytham began to recall all those years where he tried to search about himself in every parts of the world; a single clue would've made him satisfied however he found nothing. It was like he didn't ever exist at all.

_My memories…at last, _he let out a sigh of reprieve and said with vehemence. "Please, show me."

* * *

><p>Woo-Hoo! Finally Updated! Special thanks to NewAnimeLover7951 for proofreading. Stay tuned for more!<p> 


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